HO 3 - Omega Spark
by AkinaSky
Summary: Stiles and his mates are returning to college for the spring semester. They are learning more about Stiles, the Spark and the Magi-Omega. They don't know what's coming but they are together and will survive anything as long as that's true.
1. Respite

**The Omega Spark**

 **Chapter One: Respite**

 **Author's Note: on AO3 which has the explicit version, this first chapter is actually two, just in case anyone gets confused moving from one version to the other. My pen name on AO3 is Akinasky as well.**

 **6/24/2105 – Thank you to Lord Kiras Hand for letting me know the story was all in code, annoys me sometimes.**

Too soon after the end of the holiday, Stiles found himself back in the hectic life of university. As Ricky started his accelerated program, a plan to get him into the Masters Program as fast as possible, Stiles didn't get to see much of his Beta. Derek was working hard on finishing up his Bachelors so he could sign up at the end of the semester for the Masters Program as well. Stiles though, he was still taking four classes because if he took to many then he wouldn't be able to stay caught up especially now that Ricky was taking six classes with a lot of busy work. Stiles had never been so proud of anyone like he was about Derek and Ricky both but he also felt left behind as once again, he closed the door on their very quiet and dark supposedly shared apartment. It had been about a month and a half now since their return to campus living and between course loads for all three of them and Derek's part time job at the garage, Stiles was spending far too much time alone.

"Honey I'm home," he called out with any expectation of answer before he kicked off his shoes next to the door and walked into the living room to drop his bag on the couch before flopping on the other side. His head flopped back on the armrest and he took in a deep and hopefully calming breath.

He missed his mates, a lot. Stiles knew that was why he was so sullen and tired but since they no longer felt the aggravating pull of a settling Bond, there was no need to always be in each other's space but that did not stop the desire to remain there. He was pretty sure the last time they had sex, was the day after they returned home. He came home after class and played video games or hung out with Scott which meant Alison and surprisingly this young girl named Kira Yukimura who was a Senior at Beacon Hills High school but she ended up on campus with their little pack a lot of afternoons. Stiles hadn't been given any straight answers about her new arrival here but he was determined to find out from his shifty best friend. Erica, Boyd and Isaac were thankfully getting along better and Isaac spent a lot of time with Stiles and Scott when his potential mates weren't around even though Erica hated that he was spending time with Scott. Then again, she seemed like the possessive and jealous type.

Stiles found himself constantly meeting new people as well, Weres and humans who wanted to meet the Omega who caused such a ruckus in the college and honestly Stiles didn't mind since it gave him a chance to learn opinions and facts about his kind from more and more people but he missed Derek and Ricky.

He sighed when his phone started jingling and it wasn't one of his mates' ringtones but he tugged his phone out of his pocket all the same. He looked at the screen and smiled a little before he answered the call.

"Hey Dad, what you up to? Shouldn't you be out catching bad guys?"

"Stiles, you know very well that when you left home most of my troublemakers went with you."

Stiles snickered at that, his friends were not innocent and they tended to band together to do stupid things and no one seemed to care that Stiles was the sheriff's son, only that he help them get out of trouble if they get caught. Too bad Stiles was really good at talking his dad down from shooting people because there was more than once when the man wanted to kill all of Stiles' friends.

"Anyway, I am calling because I know you are spending a lot of time alone and I was calling with a possible solution to all your free time."

"Oh?" Stiles asked, not getting excited until he knew what he was getting himself into since he could never tell with his dad.

"I know that there is a school newsletter or paper, they received not only your paper that you illegally put on the site but some of your finer work from high school. They are awaiting your call and Stiles; honestly, extra curricular activities are a really good idea. Don't shout 'no' until you've at least considered it and gone to speak to them."

Stiles rolled his eyes but actually he sort of liked the idea of getting a chance to start writing again. Ricky was the creative writer of the trio but Stiles knew how to Google and find information and deliver it back in an intuitive way that tended to bring other people around to his way of thinking. It would be a good opportunity and he knew the workers received credits and he could even find a way in because of this so he smiled, thinking his dad was going to flip when he answered. "I will do that for sure Dad, thanks for the idea."

John choked a little on his surprise before he cleared his throat with a chuckle, "Great! How are you doing?"

Stiles sobered at the question, he'd been calling his dad a lot about the separation between himself and his Alpha and Beta, griping about it and plain old crying on more than one occasion to which the Sheriff promised to pretend never happened. "I'm doing okay, just getting used to the new schedule and after being around each other so much after moving in and then the holidays, it's been an adjustment."

"Believe it or not Stiles, this happens to most if not all couples or in your case trio but you learn to make the best of the time you have together. You'll have school breaks not to mention you should have a Heat coming up in a few months right? At least schools and jobs can't separate you from Derek and Ricky for that time."

Stiles snorted, "I would like my relationship with my mates to be more than required sex so I don't have to suffer through my Heats alone."

"I know Stiles, give it time, you're going to be okay."

"Thanks Dad, I'm going to go and get some homework done since I am indeed alone in the house again."

"Okay Stiles, call me when you find out something about the paper."

"Will do," Stiles responded and turned off the phone before he tossed the phone gently down on the table before he hauled himself off the couch and jerked all his books and laptop from his bag. It was too late in the day to do anything about his father's idea today. The weird thing about all the alone time was that he was doing pretty well in his classes even without Ricky's help but honestly Stiles missed Ricky's help because he always made everything so easy for Stiles especially when his brain went all haywire. Since he was a werewolf, Stiles couldn't take meds to maintain some sort of focus like humans with ADHD, he had to just use strength of will and meditation to combat the inability in his brain to focus or weirdly enough when he focused to much on one thing. It was the reason the separation was causing so much mental strife, because he was focused on Ricky and Derek's absence so he hoped that the newsletter thing might be enough to get his head into something other than his mates' busy schedules.

All Stiles could do right now was work on his school work and succeed in his education so he could try and change things as they were at the moment, he still wanted that. He realized over Christmas when he was taken and hurt, that there was more to life than the Omegas getting a better deal than what they had, that Stiles' life was important and the life he shared with Derek and Ricky only to have them not be here when he came back to college was something to get through and be okay with because it wasn't always going to be like this.

He spent time getting through his English class homework then moved onto the math homework which was worse, it had him rubbing his forehead in anxiety and his leg bouncing under the table where he moved to so he could keep from falling asleep while he was reading his English homework. Most of the time, the readings he had were interesting in some way but every once in a while there was just something about the reading material that couldn't keep him entertained and that was the case this evening. He was about to get up and think about finding something to eat when he heard keys in the door and his head snapped around as the door opened and an exhausted looking Ricky walked in the door. Stiles wanted to leap forward and hug him, rub his scent into the beta who smelled so much like other people right now and Stiles hated that, his wolf didn't appreciate it either. Ricky dropped his bag next to the door with a heavy thud, since he was in so many classes on each day the wolf ended up carting around all his books for the day. He would undoubtedly start on his homework like he did every other day so Stiles just turned back to his own work, "Hey," he said noncommittally.

"Hey, you hungry?" Ricky asked, Stiles could hear the little smile in his mate's voice but he didn't want to look at what he probably wasn't going to get, at least not any time soon.

"I could eat," Stiles responded simply and was surprised when Ricky didn't bypass him for the kitchen and a quick sandwich. The Beta walked over and pressed a gentle hand into the side of Stiles' neck. The omega frowned but turned into the soft caress and looked up and into the beautiful gaze of his lover and mate. Ricky leaned down without another word and pressed his mouth to Stiles' lips for a sweet kiss. Stiles opened underneath the gentle pressure of Ricky's tongue and mouth, hummed pleasantly at the sensation, one that he'd been missing for far too long. His heart quickened under his ribcage and his breath eked out into the open mouth and Ricky breathed it in before he tugged Stiles out of his chair. Stiles stumbled closer and pressed his hands into Ricky's sides and smiled into the kiss for a second before he pulled away to speak, "What's this about?"

"You are not the only one of us to miss one another, I have finished my homework early and have several days of readings done and I am all yours this evening. Do you wish to eat before we adjourn to the bedroom?"

In answer, Stiles grabbed Ricky's hand and dragged him to the bedroom and started stripping quickly. Ricky pulled his shirt off over his head and watched as Stiles struggled out of his over shirt then his t-shirt. Stiles was busy trying to unbutton his pants fast enough then dragging his pants over his hips, pushing his underwear down as well when Ricky shoved him gently and he was suddenly sprawled across the bed with his legs trapped in his pants and a laugh falling from his lips.

Ricky quickly stripped the rest of Stiles' clothes from him before he pressed his lips into the omega's stomach, slipping his tongue and teeth across Stiles' pale skin and moved up towards his chest and throat even as he slipped a hand down to grip at the base of Stiles' length and began loving the omega. Stiles just sank into the sensation and allowed it to take over his thoughts and actions for a little while.

It didn't take very long for either mate to orgasm after such a long dry spell and then they were coming down, pressed together on the bed and panting heavily.

"Oh yeah," Stiles whispered as he looked over to catch sight of Ricky's sappy smile. "Can we not go so long without that next time?"

Ricky smiled sweetly, "Stiles I have missed you so much lately, I hate being so far from you so much of the day. I wish I could just wrap myself around you and never leave."

Stiles reached out and pressed a hand to Ricky's cheek, his silver-plated ring glinting in the soft lighting of the room. "I have missed you as well but we cannot ignore your genius, it must be cultivated and sent out into the world for the good of all of us."

Ricky rolled his eyes at Stiles' words but pressed his lips to the side of Stiles palm and he was pleased at the sensation. He watched as Ricky's face softened in the light of the room even as it brightened. Stiles frowned even as the light continued to change and rise to fill every corner of the room. Stiles flipped over a little, hissing at the soreness of their quick coupling to see the bulb in the bedside lamp focusing its glare, it was changing and growing and he reached over to click it off, feeling the uncomfortable zap of electricity and pulled back even as the light finally settled into its correct soft hue. Stiles shifted his gaze back to Ricky.

"What was that?" the beta asked.

"I don't know," Stiles replied, reaching over quickly to shut off the lamp, throwing the room into semi darkness as the shade over the windows was down, light sneaking through the slats only.

"That was weird though right?" Ricky asked as he sat up a little, pushing his back into the headboard of their big bed. Stiles nodded and pressed himself into Ricky's side and curled into the warmth and comfort of the beta's body. He just let go of what happened; maybe he would speak to Talia or Deaton about it. Ever since the thing with the Mountain Ash and Stiles being able to break the line, the doc had been trying to find out more information on something called the Spark, something unique in humans but even more so in werewolves as their people were already magic in a way so they didn't usually ever see any other kind of power beside the ability to shift into wolves and the accelerated healing.

Stiles didn't know if this was connected to him or just a bizarre coincidence but as he heard the door open and close, the omega found he didn't really care. He stayed curled against Ricky's side as Derek walked quickly through the house to find him standing at the bedroom door panting a little at the naked lovers entwined on the bed.

"I could feel you when you came together, I said I wasn't feeling well and left work." Derek was speaking and Stiles gulped as the older man started stripping quickly, coming closer to the mates laying together just in time to slip on the side of the bed as his pants and shirt fell to the floor. Stiles watched their glorious alpha, always a pleasure to see naked and a gift Stiles had not enjoyed for much too long. Then Derek was pressing lips, teeth and tongue into the skin of Stiles stomach and chest, catching some of the residue from his previous orgasm, which had dried somewhat. Stiles hummed in appreciation, as Derek pressed even closer to share a kiss with Stiles then leaned over to press his mouth to Ricky's as well.

"I am sorry it has been too long and it might be too long again because of our schedules," Derek whispered into Ricky's throat even as he shifted back to press his mouth into the space at the curve of Stiles' neck.

The omega purred into the contact and though he'd just had an orgasm, it seemed his body was more than ready to rise to the occasion. Stiles was more than willing to see how long his refractory period would hold out especially after such a long dry spell.

Between sessions of lovemaking, they talked. Derek enjoyed the moments when their heartbeats were slowing and they fell back into each other and just enjoyed the closeness. Derek hadn't really realized what his final semester before his Masters would really look like and the fact that he found Garrick and Stiles meant that he hadn't truly been prepared to miss them like this. He'd been planning to go back to Beacon Hills when he was done and claim Stiles, he'd never expected Stiles would come here, thinking the omega would want to go somewhere else, and then Garrick happened as well and the discomfort of their separation had been doubled.

After round three, Stiles sighed and whispered into Derek's shoulder where his mouth was pressed into a recent Mating bite, making Derek's body jerk in renewed interest. "I miss you guys so badly, I feel like I can't breathe with the separation."

Derek nodded, "I know baby, just because the bond has solidified and settled doesn't mean its not feeling the distance between all of us. I know it seems like this if going to be how it is forever but its not, I promise."

Stiles nodded, "I talked to my dad before Ricky surprised me by coming home and he got me a chance to talk to the school paper and I am considering the possibility, maybe it will keep me out of my head and missing you guys so badly. I don't know if I'm down with the idea of working for my dad at the police station either but for now maybe what I need to do is not be the stay-at-home omega I don't want to be. I don't need to sit around and wait for you guys. I guess I just needed to remember that."

Derek nodded and pressed his free hand into Ricky's back where the beta was resting half on top of Stiles. He liked it when they were all touching, the wolf in him was pleased at proximity and it just felt warm and loving all at the same time. He knew they were going to have to readjust momentarily because Stiles was squashed between the alpha and beta from their position a few minutes before but no one else seemed inclined to move.

"I think finding something more than school is a great idea Stiles, I'm so glad you're thinking about it."

Stiles shrugged in response and Derek didn't really know what else there was to say. Biology of the dynamics between an Omega and their mates stated that the omega needed to be at home with the kids and the house or the den but Stiles was also fighting for his own rights instead of the ones that were hard wired into his brain and physiological make up. Derek knew all that was making things very difficult for Stiles. He missed Derek and Ricky more than he could honestly say and he hated that he needed them like he did.

"This is better though," Stiles whispered, rubbing his fingers up and down Derek's chest and while his other fingers tangled with one of Ricky's hands.

"I am hoping to get some time off here pretty soon from work, especially since you have a Heat coming up soon right?" Derek asked.

Stiles shrugged, "I don't want mates that are just around to get me through Heat, I want you guys to be here to make dinner together or to play video games with. If I wanted someone to just answer the needs of my body I would have just sold myself to the highest bidding Alpha!" Stiles snarled.

Derek flinched in response, his wolf unfurling inside him because the concept even in just words of Stiles belonging to someone other than him and Ricky made the alpha angry. "No!" he grunted.

Stiles sighed, the breathy sound making the wolf within settle once more, "I'm sorry Der, I'm just feeling it all recently. I don't mean to take it out on you guys. I understood going into this relationship that I was dating two amazing guys who are incredibly busy trying to make a successful life for them in this world. I love you both for those reasons and many more."

Derek smiled and breathed in another deep breath of Stiles' scent before they all struggled out of bed to clean up and head to the kitchen so they could get a late supper before going back to bed. Just because they got lucky to have this time together did not mean they didn't have lives to get back to bright and early in the morning.

They munched on sandwiches and cold cuts before heading back to bed, Derek could feel the exhaustion creeping in, from holding everything together without the physical support of his mates for the last couple of weeks. There was nothing else to do besides keep moving forward for all of them.

Stiles settled on the bed, right in the middle of the large mattress and reached down between his legs, jerking at his erection and Derek grinned as Ricky shared a quick glance with the Alpha. They had already done so much together this day he cocked his head in interest, "How would you have us, little omega?" he asked.

Stiles moaned and answered. Derek and Ricky were all too willing to give him what he wanted. They sought release together quickly, one more time. When they all arrived to the precipice, Derek voiced his command, "Let go." And they did. He found release inside Stiles and the other's followed and the feedback was overpowering and suddenly everything went out behind Derek's eyes and he slammed his eyes shut at the intensity. They started to slide back away from the pleasurable release and that was when Derek realized that his whited out vision wasn't to do with his pleasure. He blinked a couple of times and realized the lights in the room were much brighter than they should've been then they resettled to their normal lighting and he was left confused and sated, unsure if he should care about the lights when it was so late already.

Derek shrugged before he got out of bed, grabbed some towels so everyone could clean up before they all climbed under the covers and wrapped around Stiles who was still in the middle.

Derek coughed a little, "So, thing with the lights. Weird right?" he asked.

Stiles and Ricky were both silent but nodding in answer. Probably wasn't a late evening conversation but Derek wasn't going to let it slide for too long, sleep first though would be helpful in the grand scheme of things. So that's what they did for now.


	2. Answers and More Questions

**Chapter Two: Answers and More Questions**

The morning came and all three mates awoke slowly and stretched together, rejuvenated from all the bonding the night before. Stiles felt good and calm for the first time in weeks, probably since they got back to the campus. They all stumbled out of bed, taking turns in the shower, then to the kitchen for a quick breakfast full of carbs to keep them going through the morning. Stiles was munching on his bagel when Derek brought up the lights again, "Was that the first time it's happened?" he asked Stiles and Ricky.

They both shook their heads.

"What? What's going on here and why haven't you told me about it?" he demanded, his Alpha tone slipping into his words making the two other wolves in the room flinch and show Derek their throats. Derek took in a deep breath and rubbed the back of his fingers across Stiles' throat then Ricky's as well, "Sorry. Please tell me."

"I've only noticed it a few times," Stiles whispered.

"Usually right after orgasm, the lights will flicker or brighten then settle again," Ricky added.

Stiles nodded, he didn't understand what was going on and he really wished he could just ignore it and chalk it up to their brains being high on endorphins but it had happened multiple times now.

"What do you have going on today Stiles?" Derek asked the omega, his voice firmly a gentle caress which Stiles appreciated. He knew how hard it was, fighting against Caste training when all Derek wanted was to shout and rail, then demand they just do whatever he wanted them to do. Derek didn't want to be that kind of Alpha but it did not short circuit the mentality, if anything it made it worse.

"I have class, then I was planning on going to see the newspaper about working for them. I could call Deaton and go see him later this afternoon."

Derek nodded and there was a contemplative frown on his face, his eyebrows doing most of the talking at the moment. Stiles frowned, "I don't need a babysitter, if that's what you're thinking."

Derek scoffed, "Stiles, I don't want someone to babysit you, I want someone to keep my Omega safe, you are precious and you also have to admit that you are prone to trouble when someone isn't there to watch your back."

Stiles shrugged, "Actually I am more prone to trouble when someone is watching my back."

Ricky snorted at that, "He's not wrong Der."

Derek glared at them both, until omega and beta both held up their hands in surrender and stayed silent. Stiles bumped his shoulder into Garrick's and smiled, enjoying the time here despite the drama they were trying to deal with. What was a little flickering lighting compared to having Derek and Ricky so close to him for the evening, night and now for breakfast as well.

But it was bound to end sooner or later, he realized when Ricky glanced at the clock and immediately started grabbing books and his bag and throwing his shoes on, leaning over to kiss Stiles on the forehead then kissing Derek's cheek, "Love you guys, see you later."

Then the door was closing behind the beta's form and alpha was left alone with omega. Derek watched Stiles as he did the same to the alpha. "I promise I'll be careful Derek, just go to work or class or whatever you are heading off to."

Derek's eyes softened before he walked around the table and pressed close, wrapping his arms around Stiles' arms. The omega smiled when he felt the gentle kiss pressed into his temple and the words whispered there, "I couldn't bear it if something happened to you because I was too busy to be with you."

Stiles tightened his hand around Derek's wrist in comfort, "Derek, no one knows what I'm possibly capable of except for your family, Ricky's family and mine. Do you imagine someone we call Pack would hurt me?"

"No, but Kate disappeared into the night with the same information and we don't know what she might do with it."

"Then we will do what we have to when its time, don't borrow trouble Derek. We have plenty already."

Derek chuckled, pressed another kiss to Stiles' cheek before he too was rushing off. Stiles packed for his classes and moved on about his morning and afternoon with ease of the knowledge that no one could get on campus without a thorough check up, because it was a mostly Were college, there were extra precautions, especially after what happened with Isaac and Stiles last semester. Stiles didn't need special precautions but other omegas that might still not be out in the open, looking for their mates would still need the help to remain anonymous or once they were out then they would need the protection of the college. Thankfully President Walcott seemed more than willing to give the protection needed.

Stiles met up with Isaac, Scott and a few others for lunch and he was pleased to see the holidays had done a lot to loosen Isaac up from the scared little omega he was before the break. He wondered how much Erica and Boyd had had to do with that, Stiles knew they weren't bonded but the smell of the other Alpha and Beta were all over Isaac and it seemed the Bonding Marks were a formality at this point. Isaac smiled and laughed now, it was a pleasure for Stiles to share in that happiness. It wasn't that being with Erica and Boyd had somehow completed the omega but they'd allowed him the freedom he needed to become who he wanted to be without the threat of bodily harm constantly from his father and who knows how many other wolves he'd been afraid of.

After lunch Stiles headed for the school newspaper office, which was in the building next to Admin, he found his way upstairs and into the small office that smelled like paper and ink and Stiles breathed it in, feeling like he'd just come home because it smelled so much like Ricky. He smiled as he walked farther into the room and found another wolf rushing around, looking over mockups and scribbling on it. The wolf looked over and she smiled when she caught sight of Stiles, "Hey, you must be Stiles Stilinski. I am so sorry but I am desperately trying to get the paper out today and I just need to do a few things. My name is Braeden."

Stiles knew werewolves and their beauty shouldn't really surprise him but this woman was lovely. Braeden had caramel toned skin and a wide smile with straight and lovely teeth that if she wanted, she could make extra toothy just for effect. She had a willowy figure and didn't look like someone who spent all her time in front of computers and newspaper articles.

He waved stupidly, not really knowing what else to say.

"Look, I don't have a lot of time right now, so sorry but I would love to take a look at something you've done that hasn't been spread all over the internet already."

Stiles grinned, "Apparently my reputation precedes me."

Braeden stopped and gave him a look that clearly said she wasn't as amused as he thought she should be, Stiles shrugged and waited, "I would like to see if you have anything specific to say about the strength of the Beta Caste that doesn't come from a romance novel or your lover."

Stiles scoffed, "Lady you underestimate me clearly. Shall I bring this back to you later this evening?"

Braeden laughed, "Nope because what I want you to do is find all the information than build a paper, cohesive and prepared then tomorrow evening, I want you to cut it down to three hundred words. This job is partially about finding information but also determining what can be said in a short amount of time and space on a newspaper or newsletter."

Stiles gave a snappy salute then walked back the way he'd come in. He found his way back to the apartment building and his Jeep, getting in and tossing his shoulder bag into the passenger seat and headed off towards Deaton's shop. He figured this was as good a time as any to figure out what the heck was the matter with him. He wanted to be able to contain this magic, since he didn't know how to control it yet. The trip to the clinic was filled with singing badly to songs on the radio and watching the familiar roads as he passed them and pulled into Deaton's parking area and jumped out of the jeep. He walked across the short distance from his door to the Doctor's door and walked in, finding Deaton waiting for him with that all-knowing smile on his face.

"Stiles, what brings you here?"

"Hopefully some information about the Spark, something to help me figure out what the hell I am and what I'm capable of and most importantly how to control it!" Stiles said as he walked over to stand in front of the doctor and folded his arms over his chest.

Deaton just gestured towards the back room and they both stepped back for some privacy, not that there were any other people in the office at the moment but Stiles appreciated that the man didn't want Stiles shouting across the store about this conversation. They might live in a world of werewolves and magic but it still wasn't the best thing to talk about where others could hear.

Stiles settled on the edge of one of the chairs and Deaton leaned against the desk, a clipboard tucked between his hands. "Stiles, I know only a little about the Spark, it is someone who has a potential for magic but you already have that. You are a werewolf, not only that you are an omega, created to give life but this is something more. I don't know what you are, really, but I need you to start trying to use your abilities as they manifest because that is the only way you are going to learn control."

Stiles nodded but he couldn't help but feel disappointed, no one really had any information about what he was which meant there was no research to be done, there was just living with it and trying to find a way to live with whatever this was.

"In other news, you should be having a Heat sometime in the next month right?" Deaton asked.

Stiles flushed a little in embarrassment, he had been in for a post Heat appointment about two days after his last Heat and Deaton made sure that his breeding suppressants would work and that was about it. As it was incredibly difficult to get pregnant outside of Heat, Stiles took the pills once a week and then when his Heat hit, he would up the dose, it wasn't always effective but after being on suppressants for so long, the contraceptive shot tended to screw with the omega's senses and Stiles didn't want that.

"Everything is good and I still have plenty of the pill. Yes I have a Heat coming up and that's all you need to know about that."

"Are you planning on going off the pill sometime soon? Should I put you in contact with another midwife in the area?" Deaton questioned, making notes on the clipboard as he spoke.

"What? Doc, I am barely an adult, I have a college education to complete and just no, not now anyway."

Deaton nodded, hummed and wrote a few more scribbles on the notebook. Stiles was starting to wonder if the man was really writing anything or if he was just doodling as he made Stiles uncomfortable. Stiles wouldn't put it past the weird voodoo doc to do it.

"Well okay then, I have a newspaper article to write and wow the woman in charge there so I will see you later, thanks for the lack of information."

Stiles walked out, pretty sure Deaton was chuckling behind his back but the omega forced himself to face forward and head out to the jeep. He turned off the radio and plugged his headphones into his phone; dialing the number he wanted while he was at it. The car rumbled to life as the phone rang in his ear and by the time he was getting back on the road back towards the campus the call was answered.

"Hale residence, Talia speaking. Hello Stiles."

Stiles snickered, "If you know its me, what's with the formal telephone etiquette?"

"Habits sometimes are difficult to break, I have been a strong Alpha presence in the area for a long time, many other packs call me and I wish for them to know I have manners and etiquette. You would do well to learn some Stiles."

Stiles laughed at that, "Hey so I just had a quick question, have you found out anything about the Spark thing? I think my powers are growing or something, I almost blew out the light in the bedroom last night. I am just trying to figure out what to do about it."

Talia sighed, "Sadly, Cordelia died much to soon and we were not able to learn all she was capable of. I think you need to meditate, reach inside and find the answers for yourself."

Stiles sighed, "Ugh, that requires discipline and sitting still. One of those things I am not the greatest at, guess which one."

Talia chuckled, "I believe in you Stiles. Now I must go, tell my son to please call me soon. I have missed him and you and Ricky since you went back home."

Stiles agreed and hung up the phone, cranking up the music so he could focus on the road but also to start thinking about this Omega thing, the Spark thing and also the Beta paper he was supposed to be working on this evening. There was much to do; suddenly missing his mates didn't seem so big anymore.

Ricky found himself thinking more than once the next day about the lights, when they got brighter and he was pretty sure the bulb was going to burst before it resettled to normal again and he knew Stiles was concerned, intrigued but also concerned about these new powers that seemed to be manifesting from him. None of them knew what it would mean for any of them. Ricky tried to focus on the lessons and the lectures of the day but any time the teacher started talking about something he'd already read three times, his mind would wander back to his beloved omega. He knew Derek was concerned and so was he but he was more worried about what would happen if the powers kept manifesting and people outside the Pack learned about his abilities. They wouldn't be able to protect Stiles, he was already coveted because of his omega status by the wayward alphas such as Varack who attacked not one but two omegas for their abilities to procreate. With the added benefit of powers, abilities that others wolves wouldn't have would create a desire to take Stiles and make him into a slave for a pack. Ricky wondered how they were going to convince Stiles, who loved to be out and proud about everything, that silence was the better part of valor this time.

It would be the omega's right to say what he would and wouldn't keep quiet about but Ricky couldn't see past the terror he felt whenever he thought of Varack taking and hurting Stiles, he didn't ever want to see something like that happen again. The other problem was also that Kate, the hunter who trapped them in the house during the holidays knew that Stiles was capable of something extra special. No wolf was ever supposed to be able to cross or break a line of mountain ash and Stiles did. That would be enough to warrant more attention from her and there would undoubtedly be people who would follow her to see such a creature as Stiles, just before they destroyed him.

These were the thoughts screaming through Ricky's head whenever his brain wasn't fully involved with the topic at hand. He was really glad several of his classes were discussion based instead of lecture based because it was the only times that day he could completely delve into the topic and discussion, ignoring the worry that came with being involved with an omega such as Stiles.

He knew it would never be a mistake, falling in love with Stiles and Derek and he would never regret it but sometimes he missed the simplicity he had before them. Times like now when he had this Alpha-like desperation to contain and protect Stiles and he didn't understand what the hell he was feeling or thinking. It was like having an out-of-body experience that he had no way of truly dealing with. When his last class got out, he packed up his things and headed back to the apartment. Derek and Ricky had both been putting in extra time at work and in class because they knew Stiles' Heat would be coming any time now and they had wanted to spend that time with their mate without the added stress of project due dates and working to pay the rent. Of course that had led to Stiles feeling neglected but they only had so much time in the day and week left over after school and work.

He found himself alone in the house and sighed, missing Stiles as much as the omega was missing them lately. Ricky was left to get his homework done and then he was left to think again. Pressing his fingers into his eyes, fighting the headache that was forming there as he considered if he should say anything to Stiles or Derek for that matter. He was left groaning in annoyance and more than a little fear.


	3. Angry Alpha

**Chapter Three: Angry Alpha**

Derek knew that Stiles had spoken to his mom about the thing with the lights a couple weeks before and it was frustrating because he wanted to do exactly what Ricky's first reaction was: hide Stiles and keep him safe. He was fighting against every alpha instinct to protect his omega. He was glad Stiles was working with the school paper, and also getting out of the apartment more but at the same time he hated it. Now he spent his time wondering if Stiles was spending time with other alphas, was he safe? Was he missing Derek as much as the alpha missed the omega? He got to see Stiles and Ricky most evenings, thankfully because they lived together but they hadn't had much time together except a few afternoons or evening movies or Valentine's day which was wonderful for all of them but it wasn't enough. Derek needed times with Stiles and Ricky because he couldn't feel them through the bond which would be reawakened with a bonding mark but they hadn't even had sex in a week.

"Derek," his boss called and he turned to look at the other Beta in the shop. He desperately wanted to growl at the man who would dare to speak to him when he needed the privacy of the moment.

"Yes?" he asked, trying to be polite instead of growly.

"Is your mate getting close to Heat?" George asked.

"How is that your business?" Derek snarled in response.

"Because you are my employee and despite your Alpha status, you have never growled and flashed red at me. When your omega is close to Heat, the alpha will sometimes respond badly. Just go home and take care of him."

Derek hated that Stiles and Ricky agreed to not shout to the world that they were a trio instead of a couple which was why his boss didn't know that he had two mates. Derek hated that he had to hold his tongue about the fact that he needed to go home and take care of both his mates. There was nothing more important to him than making sure Ricky and Stiles were okay so he just cleaned up and nodded to George on his way out the door. He didn't know where Stiles and Ricky were going to be, undoubtedly in class since it was the middle of the day but if Stiles was going into Heat then it was a tad early and Ricky was going to need a call. He wondered if Stiles was feeling it and that's what he was freaking out about or he was just being crabby because he needed his mates, Heat or no Heat.

He got into the Camaro and drove towards the apartment, luckily it was a short trip with not much traffic on the road so he made it to the apartment and parked the car before walking up to walk into their shared space and took in a deep breath and frowned. He could smell Stiles and Ricky's scent like always but the ginger and vanilla smelled sharper and it may have been months since he scented it but he couldn't forget what it was like to know Stiles was going into Heat and that was it. Derek was confused though because Stiles wasn't here. Getting close enough to Heat was uncomfortable and he didn't understand why Stiles wasn't here.

He tugged his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and texted Ricky first, **'Have you heard from Stiles?'**

He tugged his jacket off and walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the counter while he waited impatiently for a response. He started pacing the floor and guzzling down his water because now that he was aware of it, he was pissed. He needed to know Stiles was okay, he needed to know where his Omega was at all times and right now he was in danger of being grabbed by any alpha that was unable to contain his or herself. He gripped the bottle between his clenching fingers and heard the pop when his claws cut jagged edges into the plastic and then his phone jingled. He took a couple deep breaths and lifted the phone from the counter, shuddering a little as he dropped the broken bottle into the sink before he dumped the remaining water all over the floor. Thankfully there was a message from Ricky.

 **'I haven't heard anything, is something wrong?'**

Derek replied immediately, **'He's going into Heat and he's not here. What the hell!'**

Derek sighed and tried to contain his anger, waiting impatiently for Ricky's reply. It took a few more minutes than Derek figured it should so he shot another text off before he could stop himself, **'Come on Garrick, I need to know where my omega is!'**

Derek went back to pacing until the little jingle started again, **'What the hell Derek! He's my mate too! Don't do this to us. I was texting Stiles and I haven't gotten an answer.'**

Derek flinched but he was too wound up to apologize for his text, he just needed to know where Stiles was. He didn't understand how he went from worried and slightly concerned to wound up and pissed off in the space of the last twenty minutes. He flicked through his favorite contacts and dialed Stiles' number, pressing the phone to his ear and the edge was digging into his sensitive skin and grounding him in this moment enough to hear the ring through the ear piece. After a few rings Derek couldn't seem to stop the growl from rumbling in his throat at his Omega not answering his damn call. He never stopped pacing the room while he was still waiting for the ringing to stop and he wanted to hear Stiles' voice on the other end. Finally Stiles picked up, "Stiles!"

"Sorry no, this is Braeden with the newspaper. Stiles came here after class to turn in his article for the newsletter and now he's stuck in the bathroom and he won't come out. I don't know what's going on but he doesn't sound so good."

Derek groaned, "Stay away from him," he growled.

"I wasn't planning on it Alpha," Braeden said with a snort. "I know what pre-Heat can look like. I sent away any Alphas who have tried to stop in. I won't let anyone near him but you should get here as soon as possible."

Derek got the address and sent a quick message to Ricky, feeling suddenly crappy about his text earlier to the beta. He grabbed his keys and took off, leaving the Camaro since they were close to campus and Stiles had his jeep and there was no way the omega was going to be capable of driving in his condition. He ran through the parking lot then towards the campus and headed to the building where Braeden said she was located and soon after getting off the elevator on the correct floor he could actually start to scent Stiles and it led him unerringly towards the office where a dark skinned Beta was standing guard and he knew his eyes were flashing and she got out of the way, "Only because I can always scent you on him, I figure you are Stiles' alpha. He's in there," she said motioning towards the door she was standing in front of. Derek walked over and rapped his knuckles on the door and tried the handle to find it open, Derek pushed in and closed the door behind him as he was engulfed in Stiles' scent and Derek couldn't help but get immediately hot and bothered. He found Stiles leaning against the far wall, tucked between the wall and the counter. Derek sighed and walked across the room, thanking whatever higher power was out there that the anger and rage had slunk into the background now that he had Stiles in the same room with him.

Derek dropped to his knees next to Stiles, the skinny little man had his legs crushed against his chest and his hands were pressed in between like he was in pain and Derek wondered if he was.

"Stiles?" he asked gently, keeping his voice pitched low and gentle.

Stiles looked up and those whiskey colored eyes were shimmering with tears and he was strained in pain. Then Stiles was in Derek's arms and the alpha caught him easily and wrapped his arms around Stiles' thin back. He shushed Stiles at the omega started shuddering, low little sobs making it out of his mouth while Derek just kept the smaller man pressed close to him. Derek didn't know if he was going to be able get Stiles out of here, especially without Ricky. Stiles was curled in his lap and shaking, Derek could feel the sweat making Stiles' clothes tacky and he could scent the slick that was already making Stiles wet underneath his clothes. Derek could feel his wolf struggling to bond and mate and mark Stiles. He needed to act on the Heat but if they started here then the school was going to have to close down this building because they weren't going to leave and the scent of them mating was not appropriate for the school grounds.

"Why didn't you call me? Why didn't you stay home?"

Stiles shuddered, "I didn't realize it would happen so quickly. I'm sorry Der."

"Oh little man, we'll get you home and take care of you."

"Ricky, I need Ricky too."

Derek hated the whimper in Stiles' voice so he just kept rocking Stiles, rubbing a hand up and down his back in comfort and the other hand fumbled for his phone and he awkward tapped out a message to Ricky, hoping the beta would respond whether he was mad at Derek or not.

The door opened behind him and Derek wanted to growl but he scented Ricky and then the beta was sitting next to Derek and he was pressing his hands into Stiles' back and neck, suddenly the omega took a deep breath and settled deep into Derek's chest.

"Home now!" Stiles whispered urgently and Derek was moving. He caught sight of Ricky's dark gaze and the beta just looked away and Derek flinched. Ricky was mad at Derek and he had a reason to be but there was no way they could deal with the fight until after Heat. Stiles was already riding the edge of completely losing his ability to speak and be cognizant of what was happening, by the time they got back to the house, he would be so desperate that for the first couple days of Heat they weren't going to be making love to Stiles, they were going to be feeding the need of the omega between them and it wasn't going to mean anything because Stiles wasn't going to be aware. At least the first Heat they went through, Stiles never lost who he was but they got to him to late this time.

Derek lifted Stiles from the ground and he allowed Ricky to grab the Omega's belongings and keys and they headed out to the jeep, piling in with Ricky driving and Derek holding Stiles close in the back seat. As they made the short trip from the school back to the apartment Derek spoke, "Ricky, I'm sorry. I was reacting to the Heat. I didn't mean it."

Ricky locked eyes in the rear view mirror for a second before he refocused on the road in front of them, "We don't have time for this right now Derek."

"Yes we do," Derek returned gently, forcing the need to make Ricky listen down and tried instead to implore his partner. God he loved Ricky as much as he loved Stiles and he can't believe that his deplorable instincts made him react and hurt the quiet and gentle man who helped to make Derek's life complete. "Garrick, Stiles is your mate and mine too. My stupid wolf was growling in my ear and I didn't even know what was happening until I already sent the message. Please Ricky, just tell me that we're going to be okay."

Ricky sighed as he parked the car and Derek took a second to look down at Stiles who was shivering in his arms but at least he seemed to be doing okay for the moment. Ricky spoke as he tugged the keys from the ignition and started to pull the stuff from the front seat as he spoke, "Of course we are, you dummy."

Derek smiled for a second as he lifted Stiles and started getting out of the jeep when Ricky spoke again.

"You're still an ass and you owe me big time buddy."

"You got it," Derek said with a chuckle as they all walked away from the locked jeep and back to their apartment. Soon they were behind closed doors, kicking off shoes and shifting out of jackets, Ricky helping to tug Stiles' shoes off his feet before they both headed to the bedroom and Derek placed Stiles on the bed and then both mates started to undress Stiles who was unnaturally still but becoming more agitated by the second since neither of his mates were touching him which tended to keep him calm during Heat or highly emotional circumstances.

"Okay baby, we've got you," Derek whispered as he tugged off Stiles shirt while Ricky started unbuttoning his pants. They had been prepared for the Heat to hit a couple days ago so there was plenty of water stashed in the bedroom as well as toys and so on. Stiles still wasn't doing anything and Derek was starting to freak out, finally Ricky pulled down Stiles' boxers and the full scent of the Heat hit them both making Derek jerk forward a little in excitement and his body responded. Ricky was equally affected, the beta leaning his forehead down against Stiles' stomach as he tried to contain himself. Derek didn't know if they were going to be able to help Stiles without hurting him since he was still listless, not taking part in the proceedings happening around him. Derek moved to sit close to Stiles on the bed, pressing a hand into his cheek gently.

"Come on Stiles, we need you to be an active participant in this," Derek spoke adding a hint of Alpha command into the words but Stiles eyes stayed closed. They fluttered for a moment, showing those whiskey colored eyes but they were glassy, like he was too high to really comprehend what was going on. Derek started slipping his hands across the slim expanse of his chest and down to his stomach and Derek couldn't help but imagine some day allowing his seed to take root in Stiles' womb and having it shift and grow before their eyes until they had a pup in their arms.

"Derek," Ricky whispered, just a little command there.

Derek realized his hand had slipped down lower and he was about to touch Stiles' straining member and pulled away. He had always hated the idea of touching an Omega when he or she was out of sorts and had no real opportunity to say yes and take part. He hated Alphas who took advantage of their omegas.

Ricky reached over and pressed his hand to Derek's hand. Derek didn't know what Ricky was doing but he shifted away from Stiles, the scent of Heat was pushing him closer and closer to not being able to control himself and Stiles was just laying there. He wanted Stiles, he was worried because he'd never seen Stiles so out of touch not even during their first Heat together.

"We need to take the edge off Der," Ricky finally whispered as he shifted around Stiles on the large bed and pressed close to Derek. The beta moved to sit in Derek's lap, his legs on either side of the alpha's hips and their bodies collided and Derek understood and it made him love Ricky that much more. Ricky whispered into Derek's skin, "Let Stiles come back to us and round two will be about him. I need you to chill out a little otherwise you are going to do something you regret, well something else."

Derek rolled his eyes at the smirk on Ricky's face, leaning forward and took the beta's beautiful lips in a wet kiss that helped to bring Derek's focus off of the scent of Stiles and back to the equally wonderful scent of Ricky's arousal. It wasn't the Omega scent, the one that made his wolf howl for completion during this breeding times but the love he had to Ricky made the scent just as important and intoxicating. It was something Derek was still confused about sometimes, the fact that even during Heat he didn't want to focus on Stiles to the detriment of Ricky, even during the most instinctual time of a werewolf's life he wanted Ricky as much as he wanted Stiles.

"Naked. Now." Derek commanded huskily.

Ricky nodded and started pulling off his clothes and Derek watched for a second before he started getting out of his own clothes and sighed when his skin was met with the chilled air. They fumbled around and laughed about it until they were bare and pressed back together. Derek was pleased when Ricky was pressed against him and then it all started to get hot again. Derek decided that for now he was going to focus on Ricky and listen to the sounds he made, feel the tremors from the beta's body and enjoy the ride. They rocked towards completion together, making the last moment extend into forever with a Bonding Mark to heighten everything.

As the pleasure subsided and their heart beats slipped slowly back into the normal rhythm Derek slipped to lay down next to Stiles with Ricky on top of him. He pressed his mouth into Ricky's lips once more before they both turned to look at Stiles, catching sight of those dark brown eyes and smiled when they realized he was back with them a little bit at least.

"Hey little man," Derek whispered, bringing Stiles' hand up to press a gentle kiss to his palm.

Stiles smiled a little.

Ricky leaned across Derek's chest and pressed his mouth to Stiles, sharing a slow kiss with their omega. Derek just watched with a smile on his face with the bliss that comes from orgasm. He was glad Ricky helped him take the edge off, he didn't feel the anger and fear or the need to dominate Stiles and Ricky simmering under the surface anymore and now he could worry about caring about Stiles.

When Stiles came awake slowly to the sounds of grunting and moaning, happy to have some kind of ability to understand what was happening because honestly he didn't know how he got back into a bed, he didn't even know for sure that he was with Derek and Ricky but when he blinked open his eyes, it was to the glorious sight of Derek and Ricky bringing each other to orgasm and he couldn't help but get swallowed up in the heat of the moment. The Heat had well and truly set in; he was lucky to understand a little of what was going on here. He was lucky Braeden had been there to keep people away from him until Derek and Ricky came for him.

Then his brain sunk into the overwhelming fire in his veins and the wet slick between his legs that clung to the insides of his thighs, making everything uncomfortable. His vision whited out for a second and he gripped Derek and Ricky's hands where they were squished into his and he whimpered. "I know its you, I know you both are here with me and I need you now."

Apparently there was no reason to ask twice because Derek and Ricky burst into motion, and Stiles could see they were aroused, hard and ready despite the very recent orgasm. Stiles found his mouth taken with another wet and sloppy kiss from Ricky while Derek pressed in close to Stiles, getting him ready to be taken. There was nothing stopping either of his mates from shower all the love and passion onto his body and he knew it wasn't going to be long. He knew what he needed and demanded it from his mates, scenting the lust and love in the air.

As the pleasure mounted and fractured Stiles into pieces before Derek and Ricky's love pieced him back together. He felt the dual bites administered to his shoulder and throat and his body was suffused with light, the power and strength of the bond as it reawakened in the act of the Mark. He could suddenly feel his mates again, and the thoughts and feelings in the back of his mind grounded Stiles better than anything else ever could. He sucked in a deep breath, groaning out his shocked pleasure as Derek came inside of him and they were thrown into the after glow.

Stiles didn't know how much time passed from the moment he sunk into a deep sleep and when he woke again but Derek and Ricky were settled on either side of him, wiping at his skin and cleaning him up.

"I shouldn't really be sleeping right now, what's going on?" Stiles asked.

Derek shrugged and Stiles felt as the burn started low in his belly again, there was nothing to stop it and he groaned. He enjoyed the time between burns to actually spend quality time with his mates but apparently his body wasn't interested in allowing him a reprieve at the moment. Stiles did what was needed, took what was offered. Rose and fell in the sweet knowledge that Ricky and Derek would catch him. And they did when he fainted again from the pleasure.

Again Stiles has no idea how much time has passed from the moment he fainted to when he woke, had to be at least a half an hour since Ricky was in bed and Derek wasn't meaning they weren't knotted together anymore. Ricky was asleep as far as Stiles could tell, laying on his side with his hand pressed to Stiles' chest over his heart and the omega was sure that was why his body didn't immediately freak out about Derek not being there. The wolf inside was starting to howl though, uncomfortable with the separation from one of his mates, his alpha. He needed his alpha.

Out of nowhere the instinct to be close to Derek overthrew every other thought and Stiles called out, "Derek!" He didn't even know his voice could sound so freaking pathetic then there was a shiver in the lights and Ricky snapped awake and he shifted and winced on the bed undoubtedly sore from his lovemaking with their alpha.

"Stiles?" he asked, worried instantly at Stiles' tone.

Stiles couldn't answer, his head felt too small and everything was too big and he didn't know how to make it stop. It felt like a panic attack but heightened to an unbearable degree and then Derek was at the door of the room, only wearing loose pajama pants and looking around the room as the lights flickered and shimmied. Then the bed started to shake and all three of the mates looked around the room in confusion and fear. Stiles couldn't contain this, there was no way he wasn't going to hurt his beloved alpha and beta if he couldn't figure it out but the fear was making it hard to breathe. He pressed his fingers into his scalp, feeling the claws sharpen to points against his vulnerable skull then Ricky was grabbing his hands and Derek was suddenly at his side and pressing his hands into Stiles' cheek and chest and talking to him. Stiles didn't understand anything that was coming out of his alpha's mouth but the wolf inside did hear the command when it started and then some of his words broke through the curtain of terror.

"Stiles, contain this, I know you can do it. All you have to do is calm down," Derek said and repeated the words a couple of times while Stiles allowed Ricky to hold his hands and he closed his eyes against the visual of the lights shivering under the pressure of Stiles' burgeoning power then with a flick of something inside Stiles' head everything stopped and he could breathe again.

Stiles opened his eyes, realizing belatedly that he was crying with tears streaking down his cheeks. He pressed in close to Derek's chest, exhausted all of a sudden and the Heat wasn't lapping at his feet ready to consume them all and Stiles couldn't help but be grateful as well as incredibly worried about his Heat not being similar to his first. He didn't know if it was because of the powers he seemed to have all of a sudden but he didn't like not knowing his own body and feeling a prisoner to it in more than one way now.

"I don't like this, what the hell am I?" Stiles muttered with a shiver that permeated his entire body.

Derek shushed him gently, running a hand up and down Stiles' bare back and Ricky shifted in close to curl himself around Stiles from behind and the omega heard the beta's despairing whimper. Derek whispered into the skin of his temple, "We are going to figure this out little man but the only thing that you need to worry about being right now is our mate. No matter what happens or how weird it gets Garrick and I are always going to love you."

Ricky grunted, "Hell yes," into Stiles' shoulder and the omega gave a shuddering laugh that died before it had a chance to turn maniac. He just stayed there and allowed himself to be comforted until the stillness soothed the beast inside and the fear of the unknown in their world right now. It seemed like the unknown was so much bigger lately then what they knew but then if one of the only things Stiles knew for sure was that he was loved then that would be enough.

He took another deep breath then felt the fire again and Stiles moaned. Derek chuckled and Ricky moved back on the bed and settled before Derek pressed Stiles into Ricky's lap and he didn't even wait. They found their way to pleasures rise again and again it didn't last long. When Stiles came and shared that moment's bliss with Ricky and Derek he wished to have been able to stick around and talk to his mates but that was apparently out of the question right now.

Nope, instead his brain just stopped and he was left with nothing but darkness.


	4. What the Hell

**Chapter Four: What the Hell**

Ricky and Derek were left in bed with an unconscious Stiles again and it wasn't the dead sleep of a pleasured omega sleeping off an orgasm before the next rise in Heat. He was so still and Derek was freaking, since he was still knotted inside Stiles so he was stuck on top of Stiles and they were wracking their brains, trying to figure out what they were going to do.

"What the hell is going on?" Derek demanded, hissing when he jerked to hard and pulled against where his knot was still inside Stiles.

Ricky pressed a warm hand into the side of Derek's throat and took a deep breath, "Listen Der, you need to flip him or something, so you're not crushing him. Come on big man, we can do this then you can call your mom."

Derek gave him an aghast look, "What? I'm stuck inside our omega right now and you want me to call my mother?" his voice squeaked a little at the end in disbelief and Ricky forced the need to chuckle down, Derek needed him to be the calm and collected one right now. Derek needed some logic to grab a hold of and they had all learned that Ricky was only one capable of pulling Derek out of these instinctual tailspins.

Ricky rolled his eyes when he answered, "Derek, she had an omega. One like Stiles. She might know more about what's happening here. We have to call then figure out if we need to get him to a hospital."

Derek took a deep breath, frowned as he pressed down into Stiles' clammy skin and rolled them quickly to keep the possibility of hurting the omega to a minimum then Stiles was sprawled out on Derek's chest. Ricky helped Derek to sit up against the headboard of their bed so Stiles could have an easier time breathing which he was doing just fine. Ricky, for the second time that day, hated how still and quiet he was.

It wasn't who Stiles was, if there was anything Ricky could always count on it was that Stiles was always going to be in motion and this was disconcerting.

Derek pressed a couple desperate kisses into Stiles' temple and cheek then reached out and grabbed his phone from the side table and took another deep shuddering breath, like he was trying desperately not to falter under the fear they were both feeling. Ricky wanted to panic but he could feel in his chest and mind how close Derek was to falling apart and Stiles needed one of them to be calm at least, the beta could fall apart later if it was still necessary.

Derek dialed his mother's number and Ricky listened in the silence to Stiles' slow and quiet breathing as Talia picked up the other end of the connection. "Derek? What's wrong?"

"Mom," Derek's voice trembled on the one word and Ricky couldn't help curling in close to his alpha and trying to give him the comfort and support he needed to make it through this conversation.

"Yeah baby, I'm here. What's wrong?"

"It's Stiles," Derek choked out then coughed and took control of himself. It was interesting to watch the 'alpha training' take over in Derek and then Ricky's mate was relaying what was happening, from the beginning with the lights and the bed and the way they found him and how he's been during Heat and everything. To the point that Ricky was blushing from how much Derek was sharing with his mother. Then the room was silent again except for the sounds of the connection, and their breathing. Derek and Ricky were both trying to breathe quietly so they could listen to the rhythm of Stiles' breathing and heartbeat, which even sounded quiet in the stillness

"Derek, it's going to be okay. I know this is terrifying but sometimes omegas like Stiles respond in Heat differently. Stiles is different so you need to just stay calm and stay with him. Don't leave; right now he needs you even in his unconscious state. Keep physical contact, it will bring him back quicker and just call me if there is anything obviously wrong when he wakes again."

"Why didn't this happen the first Heat he was in?" Derek wondered aloud.

"Because he'd been on suppressants which meant that his powers and the differences in his Caste hadn't had the time to manifest. Next Heat could be different again, you can't know for sure. He's special Derek, keep him safe."

Derek nodded, forgetting that his mother couldn't see him and then Derek was putting his phone back on the side table and Ricky reached over to end the call since the alpha was back to touching Stiles gently and there was a shimmer of tears in his eyes. Ricky moved close and Derek wrapped one of his arms around the beta and they pressed close. Stiles stayed silent and soon Ricky couldn't handle the silence anymore.

"What the hell happened early when you were texting me?" Ricky asked, figured he would just rip the Band-Aid off as soon as possible about this.

Derek flinched, "Do we have to talk about this right now Gari?"

Ricky nodded and Derek sighed.

They were both silent for a few seconds before Derek started speaking, "My instincts were all over the place before I got home then I got here and all I could smell was Stiles' Heat and I went a little crazy. I don't think I can promise to never do it again; there are times when the alpha in me shouts louder than my brain and heart. It's an annoying aspect of who I am, something I fight with a lot. I don't know what to say or do to make it better but I am sorry Gari."

Ricky couldn't help but respond to the naked sorrow and regret in Derek's voice and he nodded. The beta pressed even closer to Derek's side and his lips wandered up and into the crook of Derek's neck then up even higher to the alpha's ear, his nose sensitive to the ends of Derek's dark hair and he whispered, "You could let me take you, during this Heat."

Derek jerked a little, Stiles bouncing a little on his chest and they both stopped breathing for a second hoping that their little omega would be awakened but it was a false hope. They both sighed sadly then Derek turned his Alpha red eyes on Ricky and leaned in to press his lips to Ricky's mouth in a wet kiss. When he moved back a little, Derek whispered back, "Done."

Ricky grinned and they were left to wait out this unconsciousness, Derek would be able to move Stiles in another twenty minutes hopefully but who knew how long the sleeping would last. Ricky could still feel the tremor of Heat rippling through his body, sated mostly by Stiles unconsciousness but it was still there. Something that Ricky would happily take advantage of for a little apology sex with his alpha.

Derek resettled Stiles down on the bed before he pulled Ricky across his lap gasping at the sensation of skin-to-skin contact. Derek didn't know what Ricky wanted him to do but for now the beta settled against Derek's chest and they started a deep and wet kiss that turned into two then three, pressing lips and tongues into each other. Ricky pulled away after grinding into Derek's body and the alpha was left gasping in pleasure. He was thankful for the hormones still bouncing around the room because he didn't think he was going to need much stimulation before he was pinging with pleasure. Ricky moved off of Derek's lap and tugged on Derek's hand and the alpha followed easily, trusting his mate implicitly. Derek scooted down into position and just bit down on the inside of his cheek, fighting the pleasure versus instinct that was going on inside him but with Ricky's loving attention and respect of Derek's need never to be on the bottom even in these situations, Derek could focus on the pleasure instead.

He reached out and gripped a hand around Stiles' arm because he wanted to feel Stiles, be touching both his mates. He gripped the bed sheets with the other as Ricky continued his preparations.

Ricky pressed his lips into Derek's throat and whispered, "God you are so beautiful like this, laid out for me. There is nothing more amazing and loving then you letting me take you like this. I know its tough for your wolf but you have proven over and over again that Stiles is not your only mate." As his words continued to stream out, Ricky started moving, stealing Derek's breath and empower the pleasure and bond between them. The power of the sensation loop of Ricky's pleasure, his own as well and there was nothing more powerful than the love he could feel in the bond.

He could feel the building pressure coiling in his gut. He didn't know how much longer this was going to last, it wasn't the hard and heavy pounding he enjoyed, this was tenderness and adoration. Then he felt something shift and opened his eyes and found Stiles' whiskey gaze staring at them. Derek felt the jolt of heightened pleasure when Stiles' Heat hormones flooded the room again and Ricky's thrusts started to falter then speed up just as Stiles started speaking, "I love you both so much."

Derek grunted as Stiles leaned in close and pressed his mouth into Derek's mouth and that was it. The feedback loop struck and Derek came, splattering Stiles with his orgasm as Ricky came inside Derek and they were both left panting and suddenly exhausted.

Stiles didn't move much, he didn't even move to help himself or ask Derek for any help either. He wasn't even aroused and Derek just tugged Stiles close and just held him, realizing that they really didn't know what was coming anymore. Heat wasn't going to make sense; nothing was going to make sense for a while until Stiles figured out what he was capable of and what he was going to settle into. As freaked as Derek was, Stiles had to be scared and uncertain. All Derek needed to do right now is let his mates know they were accepted and loved.

Taking in a deep breath, Derek kissed Stiles gently, and then reached behind him to grab Ricky before he could pull away. They settled together and settled into sleep, the first for all three of them that felt real and not scary in the least and Derek was pleased with it.

Stiles watched Derek and Ricky sleep and sighed happily, feeling like himself for the first time in far too long. He didn't even know what the hell this Heat was all about. He was glad to feel like it was over because seriously, what the hell!

Because honestly it bore repeating.

He got out of bed, happy that the pain of leaving his mates wasn't present and walked to the bathroom to retrieve a warm wash cloth and walked back to start cleaning up his partners. Derek and Ricky shifted and moved but didn't wake up. Stiles took the cloth back to the bathroom then climbed back into bed so he could watch his lovers sleep until they started waking up. He didn't know what the day was, didn't know what he needed to do so he was going to stay in bed for a little while and pretend the world wasn't going to pick back up as if he hadn't had the most bizarre Heat ever. He didn't remember most of it, being unconscious so often, besides waking to Derek and Ricky getting each other off every time he was asleep, he really should be upset about that but there was no reason really. They were mates too, Stiles might be the Omega but Derek and Ricky had passion and love for each other and it wasn't like they were ignoring him, he was out like a light and they couldn't do anything besides wait and undoubtedly worry.

His mates woke slowly, finding themselves clean and Stiles awake.

"Stiles!" they both exclaimed and were on him in a second. Stiles giggled when they jumped over each other trying to kiss the omega first and he let them coddle him for a moment then pushed them off before their combined body mass smothered him.

"I'm okay guys," Stiles felt it should be said.

"Its going to be sad if we actually start dreading Heat, so hopefully next time won't be like this," Ricky said with a shudder.

"I think if I continue to work with my new abilities and work on control, it will get better. I can't guarantee that but you can be sure that I will do what I can to learn about what I am."

Derek and Ricky were both nodding quietly. Stiles didn't really know what else to say, he didn't know what they had to do but right now, he was going to take advantage of the situation the best way he knew how. Stiles reached out and pressed his mouth to Derek's lips then shifted to do the same to Ricky. He traded kisses and caresses as blankets and minimal clothing were discarded and Stiles marveled as Derek laid down on the bed and Stiles into his lap, turning his back to Derek's chest. They moved through some minor prep work before sliding together towards slippery pleasure and the end of this weird heat. It wasn't long before they were flying off the edge one more time, each mate's pleasure sinking into the next and after they all soared together before slumping back to the bed all together and suddenly they were laughing in the euphoria of release and being just the three of them connected through pleasure and love, acceptance and adoration for one another.


	5. After Heat Week

**Chapter Five: After Heat Week**

After the Heat from Hell, nothing could keep the mates from returning to life as normal. They had classes and work and Stiles had his new gig with the newspaper, which to Derek seemed to be the greatest thing that could have happened for Stiles. He loved finding information attached to various subjects and forming an opinion or some sort of pattern with just the data. It was interesting to read his stuff when he got published in the school paper since if Stiles asked one of them to read his writing it was usually Ricky since the Beta was here on an English with creative writing degree.

Stiles went to see Deaton and get checked up after weird week as Stiles referred to his second Heat and he'd come back with no real answers. Deaton could wonder and guess and take blood to try some tests, which he was doing, but there was not enough information on what Stiles was to even start making estimations on what might happen or what Stiles might be capable of. Derek hoped that they could get through the next Heat with Stiles actually being a conscious participant because the Heat is all about serving the omega and Derek couldn't pretend his wolf didn't have a deep seated issue with focusing on Ricky and the beta had pretty much said the same in the days after the Heat ended.

Time passed for the trio quickly and slowly all at the same time, since they still weren't seeing each other very much but they made it work with the weekends and evenings together a couple times a week, just staying curled up close to each other with a movie playing in the background, they talked and laughed and made love when the mood struck which honestly was most of the time but during the day and in between classes and work they were always texting and conference calling each other.

The most interesting development though for Derek was that he started spending some of his spare time with Erica and Boyd, though not Isaac since he still had problems being around Alphas, not that Derek had a problem with that. Despite Derek having mated to an omega, it was never a good idea to be around others, especially when they are close to their Heat because fights break out and Alphas get hurt, or hurt betas and omegas in their vicious need to claim, mate and mark an omega. Stiles still tended to spend some time with Isaac so Derek saw the other omega constantly but usually Erica and Boyd would spend their extra time studying with Derek or visiting him randomly at the garage. He enjoyed their presence and he'd actually seen more of Scott as well though that could have something to do with the fact that apparently he has an omega as well, not that they are claiming her at the moment, she's apparently under age and even werewolves had to adhere to such things in life.

Derek was starting to enjoy the monotony of the school, work, friends cycle and he didn't want to see what else might happen but then there were still people out there far to interested in Stiles and what was happening here in Beacon Hills, where all this Magi-Omega came from and why they were surfacing now. Stiles was on a mission in his small chunk of free time to continue the search for answers but they were slow to come, it seems that only Talia so far has stepped forward to admit she had the special three way relationship with her beta and omega even though Stiles had started reaching out into other communities through the internet and blog sites that tended towards werewolf writers.

Even knowing the possibility of trouble did not really get him prepared for the sequence of events that started happening. About two months after Heat week, Stiles was texting Derek and Ricky constantly, telling them that his abilities seemed to have stabilized but he'd been learning to control them with the help of Deaton and Derek's mother in who knows what spare time. Stiles was very excited to see a little more of his telekinesis take form but Deaton was convinced it wasn't only the ability to manipulate objects but also had something to do with electrical currents which would explain why his abilities affected the lights and the power in their apartment at moments of heightened emotion and passion. Those texts were not the beginning of the weird things though, Stiles messaging about everything he did in a day was a strange source of comfort to Ricky and Derek both, no the text that confused the hell out of Derek was from Braeden, Stiles' boss at the school paper. She demanded that he meet her for coffee and so he did, settling into the chair across from her in the small coffee shop in one of the college buildings.

"Nice to see you again Derek, this time under slightly better circumstances."

"So it is, can I ask what this is about and why do you even have my phone number?" Derek demanded. He didn't like surprises, had learned they can lead to awful things sometimes, though Derek could not count Ricky as such.

"I am curious about Stiles, I was in the room with him when he went incoherent and I could scent him. What the hell is he?" she demanded, her brown eyes alight with curisoty, the kind that could put them all in danger, Stiles especially.

"He's my mate," Derek growled and left it at that.

Braeden waved off his words, "Derek if I wished to do harm to Stiles I could have done it anytime I pleased seen as how he is completely hopeless at tracking his surroundings when he is working on an assignment."

Derek groaned and rubbed the heel of his hand over his forehead as that was the truth, Stiles had no self-preservation when it came to studying and finding the answer to some kind of question or puzzle. "Look, there are things that are not mine to tell about Stiles not only because it is his choice to be open with you but also that his safety lies in omitting certain truths of who he is."

"Who was the Beta who came in here and you allowed near Stiles. I could hear you and I saw you when you came out, you were allowing him to touch Stiles and everyone with a sliver of a brain knows that no one is allowed to touch an Omega in Heat especially when his or her Alpha is present. We all know that and yet you allowed and encouraged this man to touch and hold your Omega. Stiles is special, I figured that out the first time I met him and his Beta Equality paper proved he has a lot of respect for your friend and love too if I am not mistaken but how can that possibly be the case. You cannot love someone like you love a mate and we only can feel that way once."

Derek shrugged realizing there was no point in trying to hide the truth that she already knew and the Alpha was incredibly humbled and leery of this woman who knew more about Stiles from being around him for a few months and having only met Derek and Ricky once. She was observant and Derek needed her to understand the severity of the situation at hand. "You said it yourself, Stiles is special and now we have proof that he's not the first of his kind and not the only one either. We don't know enough about what his is to fill a pamphlet yet but we're hopeful. Stiles was in danger for being an Omega in the open, let alone being special and I need you to promise that anything he or I share with you will stay in confidence. His life depends on it."

Braeden stared him down for a moment and asked, "The other guy?"

Derek groaned, "God you're determined!"

She smiled at that, "Yup."

"The other guy, Garrick, is Stiles other mate. You can call me or him if Stiles needs anything. Garrick was Stiles' roommate and he realized he had a bond with him before he found me again. We grew up together and I knew Stiles was my mate but I left so he would have a chance to be more than the simpering omega he hated the idea of. I got him back at the beginning of the fall semester. Ricky and I share a bond as well, we all chose each other and Stiles needs us both to maintain a balance. Trust me when I say that two mates is definitely what Stiles needs, he's constantly in trouble. The Alpha kidnapping him last semester was only the beginning."

Braeden nodded for a few moments, not saying anything as though she was just digesting what Derek said. He couldn't help the thrumming growl trying to make it's way from deep in his throat as this Beta could pose a threat to his beloved and he needed to neutralize the threat now!

"Okay Alpha, calm yourself. I won't tell anyone this juicy dirt though I am pretty sure a lot of people know you guys are all together."

"That's not really the part we are concerned with, what we choose in love and companionship is no one's business, but if people learn more about what Stiles is learning about himself, that's the part we are concerned about."

"People will want him anyway, because he's Omega."

Derek nodded, "I know, that is a big reason why I have started to gather a pack."

Braeden's eyes widened at that, "That is a dangerous choice to make on campus, some will take it as a claim on the territory. You need to be careful, have you study much about Pack dynamics and what can happen when a pack builds in a small community where there is strength and comfort in the lack of packs. We all left our packs, not to join another but to return to ours with an education. Can you really take the chance of upsetting the balance here, which is already on the ropes with Stiles' appearance. The knowledge that omega's are still out there and this one is going to create a pack."

Derek shrugged, "I would rather struggle with the social ramification then watch my mate die because I couldn't protect him."

Braeden nodded, "I supposed that would be the suckier of the choices."

Derek just shares his best _No Shit Sherlock_ look with her before waiting to see if she would say anything else.

"Well, do you need another Beta?" she finally asked.

Derek grinned, "Are you willing to answer my Alpha call? To do what must be done to protect not only Stiles but Ricky also if there is ever any cause to worry? You willing to stand by my side no matter the struggle that lay before us?" he asked seriously, the words rumbling of tradition of days passed when new pack members were welcomed on the full moon into packs and the words given in tradition were ones to be honored above all others. Derek didn't know all the words of the bonding to an alpha but he knew enough to feel the power in the air when Braeden looked deep into his eyes and responded with a simple, "Yes," her eyes shining Beta blue.

And so it would begin, the Beacon Hills Hale pack would begin in this strange meeting of the minds in a small college campus coffee shop.


	6. Fellowship of the Wolf

**Chapter Six: Fellowship of the Wolf**

It took Stiles a little longer than really necessary to figure out there was something strange going on when they seemed to never be alone anymore. Derek was constantly bringing people over for dinner and movie night, which suddenly became a Friday and Saturday routine that they'd never had before. Stiles didn't understand especially since up till now Derek was all to pleased to shut the rest of the world out and focus all his attention on Ricky and Stiles.

It was confusing to see such an about face in his Alpha.

Braeden from the paper seemed to be one of the newer installments while Isaac, Erica and Boyd had been constantly showing up. Scott and his bizarre and confusing relationship with a younger girl named Kira were also there while Alison and Lydia and Jackson seemed to have bonded over who knew what but everyone was all of a sudden flopped all over the mate's den every freaking weekend. Sure, Stiles enjoyed the friendships with all the other weres but he also missed alone time with Ricky and Derek. He didn't know what to do or say about the change because he knew enough not to question his alpha mate in front of other wolves. So for now, he focused on staying caught up in his classes and assignments for the paper as well as the constant mystery of the Magi-Omega which put him in constant contact with Derek's mother and on weekly emails with Ricky's historian parents who seemed capable of looking at legends and old memoirs and find little snippets that in context were possibly attached to the mystery of who and what Stiles really was and why he was different.

He stayed late at the library more than once when people were at the apartment and more than once Derek would greet him with a kiss and a worried glance that slowly turned into demands that he be there at the apartment when they are hosting movie night, after all Derek was doing this for him.

"What is this Derek? And how can it be for me?" Stiles snapped, confusion and hurt at being admonished with his friends all sitting in the living room, ignoring Derek and Stiles awkwardly as only werewolves can truly pull off since they could have heard the conversation even if Derek had taken Stiles into the bedroom. The hall might have helped since the apartment had a slight werewolf buffer but Derek had clearly not realized Stiles was going to respond in anger.

It was pretty late so everyone called it a night, promising to return for the sequel the next night if it worked out. Scott gave Stiles a back slapping hug and whispered in the omega's ear, "Just listen to him okay?"

Stiles frowned but nodded while the final person walked out and the door was closed and locked for the night. He walked towards the bedroom and started getting ready for bed, it had been a long day of classes and work and studying so if he was going to be getting into a shouting match then the least he could do was change into his sleeping clothes so he could go to bed whenever they were done with whatever this was.

Derek and Ricky followed and the Alpha leaned against the door jam while Stiles slipped out of his clothes, flashing his mates on principle before covering up again. Ricky huffed out an airy laugh at the omega's feisty behavior and Derek just waited, staring at Stiles' back. He finally turned around and was instantly cowed by the red lit eyes of his alpha, Stiles didn't understand why parties and movie nights were suddenly so important to Derek but as his mate it was not Stiles right to speak against his Alpha in front of others. He sat down quickly and folded his hands in his lap and waited, suddenly deflating at the thought of his behavior a few moments ago.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything about it."

"No," Derek corrected gently, "You shouldn't have said anything in front of the pack, you could have asked as soon as they left."

Stiles gaped at the use of the word 'pack', it was a part of the school's policy to not seek to make packs because it could upset the balance of the school and the way things were ran, not to mention destroy and fracture packs that had weres in the school, many of the werewolf focused campuses were like that.

"Pack?" Stiles demanded shakily.

"Yes, I have started to assemble a pack, I will ask them to stand at our backs, no matter where they came from but we will decide together where to go and what to do when the time comes but I cannot stand idly by in the knowledge that you are a precious gift to be protected and I cannot always do so."

Stiles stared at Derek in shock, building a pack had been nowhere on the radar. He didn't understand why Derek would chance the wrath of the school when he was entering his Masters program and he was so close to achieving his degree. "Seriously Derek, you could get banned from the campus, you could get expelled."

Derek's eyes flashed red again, "And you could die! You already almost died more than once in the last six months, don't ask me to choose my education over you because I won't do it."

Stiles turned to Ricky with a beseeching look on his face, "Ricky please tell me you can convince him not to do this."

Ricky snorted, "Have you met our mate, he may not be the chauvinistic Alpha of stories and such but he's still our Alpha and it's his responsibility to care for us, ours to care for you."

Stiles groaned, "I can take care of myself, you guys can protect me without breaking the rules."

"Stiles, this isn't up for discussion, it's time that I took on the rightful mantle of Alpha, you need a pack and so do we. We need the wolves to close in around us and protect us, especially when I breed you."

"Do you truly imagine I would allow you to breed me while I was still in college because seriously man, think again."

"Stiles, what did I just say?" Derek demanded, a touch of alpha in his voice.

The omega snorted, refusing to show Derek his throat even though his wolf didn't appreciate the slight anymore than Derek did. The alpha walked over and instead of grabbing Stiles like the omega thought he might do for a moment; Derek pulled Stiles up off the bed and hugged him tightly, so Stiles just hugged him back and sighed into Derek's neck. On the inhale Stiles brought the comforting scent of Derek and Ricky into his nose, they spent so much time together that their scents had blended seamlessly, despite the logical truth that their scents shouldn't do such a thing, the weirdness of wolves strikes again Stiles thinks as Derek just keeps holding him then Ricky joined the hug.

"I agree with Derek, we need a pack," Ricky whispered into Stiles' head, just behind his ear where the Beta was pressing his nose and mouth. Stiles sighed because he was outnumbered and it wasn't like the guys didn't have a point, he just didn't want to see Derek and Ricky punished for this.

They were both so amazingly smart and they had plans and dreams, both starting with an education that they finished, not one they had to give up because their Omega was a troublemaker.

"Stop it," Derek whispered.

"What?" Stiles asked with false innocence.

"You know what," the Alpha returned, "We're doing this to have a little more security in a place that has already proved to be a dangerous place for you and you have only just started to show signs of how incredible you are. I don't want that to be the death of you. If I lost you or Ricky," Derek paused when his voice caught on a sob and Stiles and Ricky tightened his arms around Derek. "I couldn't survive it, losing either one of you and I can't be everywhere. I can't be all knowing and I need some eyes on the two of you."

Stiles nodded, he didn't know how to argue that case. If a pack was what they needed then he would take it. Derek was a good alpha, he was kind and didn't use his position and caste to force his will on other people or weres and the people who were in their living room not long ago trusted Derek so they had a pack.

Stiles would just have to trust that they were going to get through this, made stronger by the bonds of pack.

"Okay, I'll be here for sequel night but homework and stuff is going to have to come first."

Derek chuckled, "Well of course."

And that was how Hale Dynamics was started. Stiles got used to the apartment being constantly full of people. He found the comfort in being surrounded by people of his kind, such as sitting on the couch, working on his homework with his feet in Scott's lap and leaning against Ricky or piling into the bed with as many of his pack mates as possible. Stiles never got to have this as a kid, especially after his mom died and he'd learned to live without it but now when he was missing Derek and Ricky because they were busy with school or something, he could always find someone to curl up against in their den. The greatest thing about it was that it was never about sex or romance; it was just about being around his kind. Being around weres, touching them and scenting each other was a source of comfort. So Stiles didn't fight it anymore and watched as the loyalty grew between the others and Derek. They easily answered to Derek, even Scott and Erica. Stiles didn't know if that was normal or if Scott and Erica would find themselves with their own packs some day but for now they were all together and becoming a strong pack..

In fact with so many people around, Stiles was doing better with school because someone was always around to tutor or help him with something that he was struggling with and as the Alpha's mate, his comfort and well being became everyone's highest priority except for maybe Erica and Scott whose first priority was Isaac and Kira but they were both faithful to Derek.

It was on one such day when Stiles was sitting in his bed with one arm stretched under Isaac's neck and stroking the other omega's curly dirty blonde hair. Lydia was tucked into Stiles' other side with Jackson sitting at the end of the bed with Lydia's feet across his lap and Erica on the other side of Isaac. Stiles pressed his nose into Lydia's vibrant red hair, sinking into the scent of her and pack. They were lucky Derek and them lived off campus because he was pretty sure they would have already been caught by now, and it had only been over a month or so since Hale Dynamics started gathering. For now, Stiles just decided to go with it and not worry about it so much. They had recently finished homework and Stiles had been feeling a little worn out so he'd gone to the bedroom only to be followed by half the pack. He knew Derek was supposed to be at the library for a couple more hours, working on an assignment and Ricky was in class for another hour. He was content and edging towards unconsciousness when he felt the warmth pool in his belly and everyone, including those in the living room all perked up and immediately started moving. Lydia was on her phone to Derek and Erica was calling Ricky before Stiles even had the chance to realize that his Heat was coming.

"Come on guys, it was just the start. Derek and Ricky don't have to just leave whatever they are doing. I have time."

Erica snorted and shook her head at Stiles; "I am taking my Beta and Omega out of here and finding some privacy."

Stiles chuckled in understanding. The pheromones of an Omega even nearing his or her Heat could cause passion to rise in surrounding werewolves, a biological imperative to breed an omega so he shrugged and watched as people started leaving, the omegas first with their mates. Then the others as well, though Lydia stayed until Derek got home, closely followed by Ricky and they all said their farewells before Derek and Ricky were calling teachers and bosses to let people know they were going to be MIA for Heat week and though Stiles was concerned about the fact that he was facing another Heat, he enjoyed the time he would get to spend with Derek and Ricky. He hoped he would be alert for it this time.

Stiles started pacing, just thinking about the hell they went through three months ago. Derek and Ricky were still on the phone though the alpha was in the bedroom getting toys and lube and so on from their magic drawer as Stiles liked to refer to it. Ricky was in the kitchen making sandwiches and some easy snacks, now that they were a little more versed in Heat week with one another, Derek and Ricky couldn't make it through the days without sustenance and they had planned previously to attempt to no longer allow Stiles to go without food and water though because of his Omega physiology, he didn't really need or want food during the whole event.

"Stiles, will you come lay down please?" Derek requested gently from the bedroom and the omega nodded spastically before he rushed to the bedroom and flopped face first into the bed. Derek chuckled and Ricky soon joined them, both getting into bed as well and since the warmth was nowhere near a fever pitch yet, there was no reason to rush the process and Stiles was too nervous to enjoy his mates at the moment, mores the pity.

"You are worried about your last Heat," Derek stated, not even trying to make it a question.

Stiles nodded into the pillow, not looking at either of his mates.

"You have been much calmer, you have the comfort and care from the pack and we are here. We will get through this Heat like we have the others since finding each other."

The omega nodded again, still not moving from where his face was smashed into the pillow, moving only enough to get a little air every once in a while. "I don't want to sleep through it, I don't want to lose time like that again."

"And we hope you won't," Ricky cut in, "Heat is supposed to be about taking care of you and your needs. Though I thoroughly enjoy the affection from Derek, I hated that you were unaware for so much of what happened but you have done everything to find some control and strength in your uniqueness. Allow yourself and us the chance to move forward."

Stiles finally looked up and over at Ricky, "You're really smart. Not as smart as me but definitely a close second."

Ricky and Derek both laughed and Stiles smiled at the sound.

"So with the end of the semester around the corner, how's everything going?" Stiles asked, pulling away from the topic of the previous Heat, he didn't want to worry about it right now.

"Classes are going well and finals are going to be a breeze," Ricky said with a grin. The beta really was one of the smartest weres Stiles had ever known, able to retain information after only hearing it once and being able to interpret it through any lens he might wish to use. It was incredible to see. Stiles turned to Derek.

"Classes are finishing up about a week after we get done here and thanks to you being with the pack for much of the last couple weeks, I have been able to stay ahead of my schedule. We should decide what to do for the summer semester."

Stiles shifted and wondered how Derek and Ricky were going to react to his news, "Actually I was thinking of taking a couple classes over the summer semester and try to catch up to you guys a little. I have been getting a lot of support from the pack and despite my trouble with attention and excess energy; I have been able to exceed my own expectations when it comes to the boring stuff. I would love to also continue my work on the newspaper with Braeden who tends to take a class or two during this time so she can continue her education and remain on campus for whatever reason. Since we have an apartment here that isn't determined by the campus schedule, that's what I have been thinking of doing."

"Are you kidding?" Ricky asked, grinning hugely.

"What?" Stiles asked, confused at the elation in the air around them.

"I was concerned to bring up the same plan, I have the funds to take classes and the sooner we are doing with our degrees and walking out of this place then we can truly start looking for jobs and so on."

"You just like learning, don't lie," Stiles snorted but it was said with such love there was no way the beta could take the words as a slight.

Ricky shrugged, "You found me out."

They both turned to Derek who was smiling fondly at them, "Then we stay for more classes and get to moving on what comes after."

"Should we share the plan with the pack and see if anyone is planning to stay as well?" Stiles asked.

Derek nodded, "We will get together at the next full moon which is slated for the week after finals which will be a good opportunity to celebrate the ending of our first year in college."

Stiles pressed his face back into the pillow, smelling the scent of his mates in the fabric but also the light scent of pack, bringing comfort to him once more, "Maybe we should think about getting a bigger place too."

Derek barked out a laugh before they all cuddled together, waiting for the time to take pleasure in one another, whether it came before Heat or during.


	7. Full Moon Family

**Author's Note: I know it has been a while, hoping to get a bunch of the chapters looked over and updated tonight and tomorrow, as I have said, there is more explicit version on AO3, under Akinasky as the author name. Same everything. Thanks again. I love comments and responses, pretty please.**

 **Chapter Seven: Full Moon Family**

This Heat week slipped by in relieved normality, or as normal as it could be with three mates and one of them being Stiles with his special Spark abilities. Stiles didn't faint at all besides the few times where he was so wrung out on pleasure that he fainted but it was normal. Derek and Ricky were able to focus completely on their Omega's pleasure and the days slipped by in a haze for all of them. By the time Stiles came back a little from the Heat, four days had passed. They enjoyed another day at home and by this point it was the weekend at they had already agreed to the time off so they were staying home another day before the chaos of finals and the moon run began. Derek knew Stiles was looking forward to the moon run since he hadn't been able to run the last couple of times, between last minute healing after the break, Heat happening around the same time and Stiles' powers going haywire the Omega hadn't joined them on previous runs. Derek and Ricky had gone together on the last one, enjoying a little bit of time together, though they didn't seek out opportunities without Stiles, the Beta was just as beloved to Derek as Stiles was.

Derek smiled as he thought about shoving Ricky up against the nearest tree when they found themselves separated by miles from the nearest werewolf, having shifted quickly back into a human and Ricky had been right behind him. He'd smiled, gripped the side of the beta's neck and dragged him in for a deep and wet kiss. They enjoyed some mutual masturbation since they didn't have pockets for lube, before heading back to the apartment and throwing Stiles down to take him quickly on the bed, with plenty of lube to go around.

"Stop it," Stiles whispered as they finished picking up a few things around the living room. Since they had the evening off, Derek and his mates decided to invite some of the pack over, others were too busy getting ready for finals but Derek wanted them to get used to being together, before and after Heat especially for when he breeds Stiles. The alpha knew that once Stiles was heavy with pups, he would need even more protection because hunters loved to destroy omegas but they loved to take the children just as much for various reasons. He didn't understand how they lived in a world where that kind of thing happened enough that it was something he was planning for but then again, Stiles had proved that omegas were out there still and no matter where or who they were, they were dangerous to the hunters and humans. That was the racist opinion anyway.

"What?" Derek asked, feigning innocence with his chuckling omega.

"Don't even think you can get away with the innocent routine when I can scent your arousal, what are you thinking about? We just got done having sex for four days."

Derek chuckled, walking over and pulling Stiles flush against him, partially to rub his scent all over Stiles once more before the other alphas in their pack came into their den but mostly so he could press several kisses into the side of Stiles' neck, pressing deep into his newest Mating Mark, that hadn't faded yet. He whispered into the skin of Stiles' shoulder, "I was thinking the last moon run Ricky and I went on together."

Stiles clearly remembered the evening because his scent grew heavy with arousal as well and Derek moved away quickly when the doorbell rang, leaving Stiles stranded and grumbling until Ricky walked in from the other room and immediately pressed against Stiles' other side, rubbing the beta's scent into their mate as well.

Then the door opened and there was Scott and nothing stopped Stiles from running to his friend and embracing him. Scott made faces about the prevailing scent of arousal in the apartment before he wrapped Stiles up in a brotherly hug. Derek watched as Scott rubbed his cheek into the side of Stiles' arm, away from the concentration of Derek/Ricky/Stiles but still into the skin of his friend. Derek couldn't help but smile. He figured since Scott had an omega to care for as well, he wouldn't always be as close as he was now to Stiles but for now the alpha was pleased his beloved omega didn't have to give up his brother after they were mated.

Allison and Kira walked in after Scott and hugged Stiles as well, Kira didn't smell like she was anywhere near a Heat but then because of her age, she was on some kind of suppressant, making it difficult to capture her scent. He didn't know if that had changed things for Scott and Allison who had discovered their bond during the Christmas break and everything for them had stalled out at friendship and cuddling, even between Allison and Scott. It was none of Derek's business for sure but he figured as soon as Kira was old enough they were going to complete the bond and move on to another pack or territory since Scott could very well be a strong enough Alpha someday.

Braeden came in a few minutes later, the beta punching Derek in the shoulder good-naturedly before she walked over to ruffle Stiles' hair and settled into one of the chairs in the living room. Scott and his ladies were sprawled all over pillows on the floor, Scott holding both of the girls close to him.

Stiles stayed close to the kitchen table, putting some finishing touches on the cold cuts, meats, cheese and fruit that was laid out. They tended to snack a lot during pack nights and thankfully many of the pack members either donated food to the den or the bring food to share, to mitigate the cost of housing pack nights. Derek waited because he knew that Lydia was coming though Jackson was practicing for a lacrosse game that he had coming up. Erica, Isaac and Body weren't available and having them here right after Stiles' heat could cause more trouble than it was worth so Derek was pleased when they couldn't join even though Stiles would love to spend some time with the other Omega who had become one of his close confidants over the summer and while Derek and Ricky were so busy.

Lydia finally arrived, pressing herself close to Stiles, before she grabbed some food and walked into the living room and draped herself into one of the armchairs then she grinned and Derek used all his willpower not to groan. She was clearly going to say something she probably shouldn't but there was clearly no way to stop her.

"How was Heat week? Less catatonia and flashing stuff?"

Stiles gaped at her then glared, "How do you know about that?" he demanded.

Derek slapped a hand against his head, he hadn't said anything and Ricky didn't even spend time with most of these people unless he was with Derek and Stiles. But then he'd learned one important thing about Lydia: she loved secrets and intrigue.

She shrugged as she lifted a delicate finger and pressed a cube of cheese into her mouth, "I'm noisy. I overheard you talking to someone on the phone."

Derek snapped a quick glare to Stiles who shrank back a little at first then he stiffened his spine, "What Derek! I can't have a _private_ phone call in the bathroom alone if I want anymore?"

Derek rolled his eyes and Lydia snickered, "It's true Derek. No one was listening to him, I heard him only because I had accidently opened the door enough to hear what he was saying. Though I don't know who he was speaking to but it was all very telling."

Derek's eyebrow raised as Stiles crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her to continue but Lydia was clearly not cowed in the slightest.

"I was talking to Deaton about my symptoms, it was the only time I could call him back," Stiles stated, sounding belligerent and miserable at the same time, Derek couldn't help the twitch of his lips trying to become a smile.

Derek walked over and pressed Stiles close, making the Omega drop his arms before they slid around Derek's waist, "It's okay love, I just worry about other people learning about you. Our pack should be trustworthy," Derek said as he glared at each wolf in turn who nodded or gave him 'no duh' shrugs or facial expressions.

Ricky walked over and pressed himself against Stiles' back and both mates pressed kisses into a side of Stiles' throat, over claiming marks making the omega whimper just a little.

"Hey, Heat week is supposed to be over right?" Scott demanded and all three of them looked over to see Scott hiding his eyes behind a hand. Allison and Kira were snickering a little but not looking away from Stiles and his mates. Derek released Stiles as the younger man's hands started slipping lower to rub against his thighs, his other hand sneaking behind to grip behind Ricky's leg but Derek just pressed a quick kiss to Stiles' mouth and nudged them away from each other before the pheromones seeped deep into each of them and they had to make everyone leave.

Stiles chuckled then and asked, "So what's the plan anyway?"

Derek grinned before he answered, "I was hoping we could just settle in for a movie marathon, something of the superhero variety?" Stiles bounced over to the Alpha and pressed a kiss to his cheek then rushed over to where their movies were set in haphazard piles that mostly only made sense to Stiles, Derek and Ricky mostly let him put them away when he wanted to and where, it was the only real 'clutter' in the apartment since both Derek and Ricky didn't like having a mess all over the den. When the omega was studying or researching things, his mess could be spread all over the floor and the couch or the bed in the other room but he always cleaned up everything when the alpha and beta were coming home. Derek knew that at some point when they found a bigger place, one room would be dedicated to Stiles' research and making piles all over the place. Just like there would be a place where Ricky could write in the quite like he enjoyed or the garage where Derek could tinker to his heart's content. Most importantly it would be home to their pack, their children and so on.

Derek smiled as he thought about it, watching Stiles as he bounced around with a DVD in his hand. Derek was sure it was Avengers or Iron Man, they were his favorites and it was his movie night. "Just go ahead and play it Stiles," he said.

Stiles did, sliding the disc into the player and the commercials began, which they ignored for the sake of filling plates before reclaiming chairs and pillows and the like, leaving the love seat for Derek and his mates, he nodded and smiled at them before he settled off to the right of the loveseat, Ricky settled next to him then Stiles with his heaping plate of food (he probably wouldn't be sharing) flopped down on their laps just as the menu for Avengers rolled over and they settled in to watch. It didn't take long before Scott and the girls slid closer to the loveseat, leaning up against the alpha and his mates. Lydia remained in her chair and so did Braeden but the connection of pack was heavy in the air and Derek wondered when Lydia would decide to ask again about what she overheard, the Alpha's preference to not speak about it would only stop her for a short while.

Ricky was pleased when the next week and a half flew by in the rush of finals and preparing for the end of the semester. He didn't know where most of the sixteen weeks had gone, there had been three Heats during that time, learning about Stiles and missing his mates. That was about all the beta remembered, he wondered again about the idea of staying on campus and taking a couple of classes for the summer session but Stiles really wanted to do it and that was hard to argue with.

He didn't want to argue with the Omega, not about this.

They sadly didn't get to spend too many nights with the Pack either, a harsh difference compared to the last three months of getting used to the other scents layered over top of theirs in the apartment, the various scents on Stiles such as Lydia and Isaac with his mates as well as the others which Ricky always thought would only make him jealous were only comforting to the beta. Ricky found that he loved knowing they weren't alone in their desire to protect and serve Stiles, and not only him but also Ricky and especially Derek. That was what the pack was all about it seemed. It was something he hadn't truly understood until he'd been happily mired in it.

Now he was watching Stiles bouncing around the apartment waiting for Derek to get home so they could go to the preserve with the rest of their pack. Derek didn't want to run as a pack within the college limits, concerned that they would definitely be found out so he'd invited everyone back to the Hale property, which was about a thirty-minute drive. Derek was getting off work early so they could leave. Stiles was excited for the run, his scent permeating the apartment with his glee and anticipation. Ricky was enjoying the show, remembering the first time they'd run together, when Stiles hadn't been patient and had outed himself as omega. He wasn't patient now, even after months of working alongside Deaton and he still wasn't good at the meditation thing despite his efforts to the contrary.

"He's coming Stiles," Ricky finally spoke and the omega smiled in his general direction though he didn't stop long enough to focus on his beta before he was moving again.

"We are going to miss them at the preserve. I wanna go and be together after the last two weeks."

"They are not going to leave on the run without us," Ricky stated while he packed up some fresh clothes and food for their trip. They were going to get messy in the woods, it was going to be refreshing, Ricky knew it and it was going to be a wonderful first run as a pack. He didn't know what they would have in a couple of years when they all left the campus and decided what they would do later in life but for now they were together.

Stiles and Ricky both paused as someone came up the stairs. Then the key was turning in the lock and Stiles was moving towards the door just as Derek opened it and the omega was in his arms, forcing Derek to drop his bag on the floor next to him. Ricky chuckled and moved in to swoop the bag off the floor, curling around the edge of Stiles' shoulder to press a quick kiss to Derek's mouth before the alpha was pressing his smiling lips into the side of Stiles' throat.

"You guys ready?"

Stiles nodded, jerked out of Derek's arms and grabbed his red Beacon Hills school sweater before he rushed back to the door. Derek waited as Ricky picked up their bag and they headed right back out the door.

Derek got into the Camaro with easy grace that came from knowing all his facilities inside and out, and then Ricky slid into the passenger seat with Stiles pressed up on his lap. The drive was as quick as Derek could make it, Stiles bouncing against Ricky's side and he reached out and tried to settle him for a third time in as many minutes but there was nothing he could do besides allow Derek to get them there.

"This is going to be awesome, you know what they say about running with a pack for C them and bond to one another as the wolf."

Ricky smiled, one of Stiles nights about a month before had been focused on what good running as a pack would do, he'd come home to find Stiles in the center of piles of papers and books, some open and other haphazardly tossed aside when they were considered unhelpful. Ricky, despite his enjoyment of random stories and plot bunnies as some might call the ideas rolling around in his head, he didn't like to be messy about the process. Stiles seemed to thrive a little on the chaos though, and that was still okay as long as he didn't make it miserable for his mates for too long. They finally drove down the long driveway into the front yard of the Hale house which was about a mile deep into the preserve, it would give them a home base and thankfully it had been thoroughly cleaned after the events at Christmas. Stiles barely waited long enough for Derek to turn off the engine before he was out the door and looking around, his arms spread out as he spun around in a circle. Ricky smiled as he looked over and caught Derek's eye, the green gaze shimmering as he flicked back and forth between his two mates.

"What?" Ricky asked, unable to handle the raw feelings in that gaze.

"I love you, I'm going to need you tonight. The wolf is strong, I can feel it demanding we assert control over him, but this is about and for him. I need you help Gari, please?"

Ricky leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to Derek's lips again, whispering there, "I'm here for you Derek, as much as I am here for him."

Derek smiled against Ricky's lips before they kissed again before they got out of the car as well just as other cars started arriving. First it was Lydia and Jackson, with Braedon in the back of Jackson's expensive car. Followed closely by Erica had a little beater that worked like a dream, Boyd in a truck behind her with Isaac in the truck. Derek was surprised that Erica had allowed that to happen on a Moon Run night but then again, Boyd was Isaac's mate as well. Allison, Kira and Scott all arrived in a car Derek recognized as Allison's since Scott rode a motor bike when he wasn't with Stiles or the others. Derek listened as they all tumbled out and Jackson immediately started in on Scott, who pushed and shoved in return. Derek watched as Erica bumped into Allison and she snarled at the other beta who wrapped her arm around Kira in protective mode as she growled back. Little scuffles were breaking out all over the group, thankfully Boyd was staying out of it, since he could physically do a lot of harm and it would take more than a few of them to drop the large beta.

Then Derek crossed his arms, waited as Ricky and Stiles took up positons on either side of him then he leaned his head back and howled into the night, throwing the wolf timber into the sound and everyone started to calm and drop to one knee just as Ricky and Stiles joined in the sound. When the howl died away and Derek looked around, everyone had taken a knee in front of them, even Erica and Scott though they seemed more twitchy about it.

Derek spoke clearly, "I know you are feeling everything right now and we are going to go running very soon but there is a few things we need to talk about. Please stand though because the on the knee thing is weird."

After a bit of shifting, everyone was standing but still quiet and respectful.

"We have decided to stay here during the summer semester, we wanted to let you know that if any of decide to do the same you are most welcome to continue as our pack, for those who are returning home, you have no obligations to this pack unless you wish it. This has been a wonderful chance to make friends, make something real out of something temporary. We have found omegas, we have decided to love and protect them as is our duty, not because we can procreate but because they are the glue, the love that holds us to one another."

There was a round of nods and rumbles of agreement, deep in the throats of the wolves in front of Derek and his mates. Lydia stepped forward and asked the question he'd been waiting for since the last get together, "Why is Stiles special? What is different about him and the other omegas and how do we not know about it?"

Stiles stepped forward and touched Derek's shoulder so the Alpha nodded and the omega spoke, "I am called a Magi-Omega, I have powers that most wolves don't carry and I am in love and bonded to an Alpha and a Beta for the protection and balance we can give to one another. I have learned in the past couple of years that because so many of the omegas were killed, we lost what the Magi-Omega are capable of and because my kind were in hiding even from our own kind, we didn't know we were any different from other omegas. There is still very little information, but what I do know is I am in love and bound to Derek and Ricky, I have some powers of telekinesis as well as control over electrical currents but I don't know what else there is. I also know that this is dangerous information for anyone to have but you are the pack we have invited into our den and lives. You deserve to know what you face by protecting me."

"You are going to be the inner circle, those people charged with this secret and there are already people waiting in the wings for Stiles to be vulnerable. I don't want to put anyone in danger but we can't lose him, I believe he is going to be one of the many voices to bring back caste equality, to let go of the old ideas about Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics. Not to mention he has been my Omega since he was very young."

"What happens when and if we must form our own packs to protect our omega?" Erica asked abrasively, she wasn't being rude and Derek knew it. She was just an alpha on the night of the Moon Run, they were all a little off.

"Then you will have just as much reason to protect Stiles, because that will protect Isaac. I will not force you to remain with us. That was never my intention. It was only to band us together while it was convenient."

"And those of us who would remain at your side after school?" Braeden asked, and Derek wasn't surprised. The Beta was alone much of the time when she wasn't with them, she came here without pack and she would return to no pack. It was something Derek was willing to change for her and it was something that had spoken about more than once.

"Those of you who truly stay would be welcomed into our pack, but family is family no matter the space between us."

"Then shall we run as family for the first time?" Stiles asked.

The cheers rent the air and quickly everyone started stripping, some just throwing their clothes in a lump on the grass while others folded their clothes neatly. Derek placed his little pile on the edge of the wrap-around porch before he pressed against Ricky's side where he was standing naked and ready. They watched as Stiles grappled with his shirt and pants, trying to release the button on his jeans with one hand and pull his shirt off with the other. Both mates chuckled then walked over placing hands on Stiles to calm him then help him strip down to his skin. Derek pressed a kiss to Stiles' bare shoulder and Ricky lapped at the omega's throat, clearly getting drunk on the scent of happy Stiles.

Then without the chance to get wrapped around each other, Stiles was gone and in his place was the red gold of his wolf. Derek and Ricky smiled, kissed each other even as Stiles bumped against their waists until they pushed him and shifted as well. Derek watched as people disappeared in the shift, leaving behind alpha forms, betas and the two other small omegas. Kira wasn't like a wolf, she resembled Stiles in color but looked a little more like a fox. Isaac was pressed in between Erica and Boyd's heavy forms. Derek sat and leaned his head back to howl, this time the pack joined and they knew it was dangerous to make the call as a unit, others would hear and understand this howl was one created by many voices joined together. It also carried a warning, that these wolves would not be alone on the run, they would be protected by the numbers that have made within their pack.

Thankfully, they weren't on the school property where this would be a challenge against the 'pack' of the administration. Here, this was Hale land, and he was a Hale with the right to protect what was his. With that thought he released everything but the instinct to run and took off, closely followed by his mates and their pack.

He listened as Stiles yipped happily and snuffed a quick canine chuckle and dove into the chase and the hunt, listening to Ricky's growls or bumps when Derek's mind started to shift into protecting or claiming Stiles with so many others around them to threaten his claim. The Beta would gently rub his head under Derek's head, maintaining Derek's charge but letting him know the claim isn't necessary, the alpha posturing wasn't needed either and Derek knew that he needed Ricky as much as he always needed Stiles.

He was a happy Alpha.


	8. Summer Semester

**Chapter Eight: Summer Semester**

It wasn't very long after the Moon Run that they were so goodbye to some of their pack, Scott, Allison and Kira were going to be staying in Beacon Hills, taking the semester off. Lydia and Jackson were traveling with their families for the summer. Stiles hugged the red-headed wolf tightly, letting her know she would be missed before she got back into her car. Jackson just punched him good-naturedly before he left as well.

Braeden was staying on the campus while Erica and Boyd were taking Isaac on a road trip for the summer. There weren't going to be very many people on campus and Stiles knew his time was going to be taken working with Braeden while Derek worked and Ricky went to class as well.

There were no other promises of returning to their pack so it wasn't surprising to lose so many of them for the summer but it didn't stop Stiles from wallowing around the house for the first two weeks of the new semester. He was just finishing his homework for the day in the solitude that no sounded too loud, his brain was too loud for the quiet and there were no pack mates there to talk to him. The door opened and Stiles looked up with a half smile, knowing Ricky's scent and heart pattern as the door opened. Ricky walked in and closed the door and smiled in return, "Hey how's that class work going?"

"Just finished," Stiles returned and held himself still as Ricky got unburied from his books and laptop. His leg started jittering in an effort to not run across the room to his mate then Ricky chuckled and gestured with a quick nod.

Stiles was up and across the small room before Ricky had a chance to track his progress and the omega was in his arms, his legs wrapped around Ricky's waist and Stiles was pressing his face into the beta's neck. "How are your ridiculous classes going?" Stiles asked against Ricky's skin, warming it with his breath.

Ricky smiled into the side of Stiles' head, "It's going well. I think that the semester is going to be over before the next Heat but I am moving through all the work quickly, it's super helpful having my ability to remember everything."

Stiles still held on to the beta even as he leaned back enough to look into Ricky's eyes, "Yeah I bet."

Ricky chuckled at the rolling eyes he was getting. "Don't give me that, you are so smart and you are keeping up fantastically. You just choose to fill all your brain space with stuff not for school."

Stiles dropped to his feet, kissing Ricky's cheek quickly before he walked away again, "So you say, I think it's all important whether I can use it for a good grade or not."

"Well if you want to be a research analyst or an assistant, then you need to think like that."

Stiles gave a resolute nod, just one before he walked back over to the couch and flopped down, rubbing the spot beside him, inviting Ricky over. The beta smiled and complied, he walked over and sat down and waited as Stiles looked over at him. The omega enjoyed the power he held sweetly in his hands for this werewolf. Ricky undoubtedly had things he needed to do for the four classes he was taking in the much short summer semester but he was willing to sit there on the couch because Stiles asked him.

The omega figured that deserved a little TLC before he had to get back to work. Stiles scooted closer until he was leaning against Ricky's side, moving up enough to press his lips to Ricky's mouth. The beta grunted and growled so Stiles moved back only to have the other wolf follow his movement, there was nothing to stop Stiles from moving again, straddling Ricky's lap. The beta's hands immediately moved to his mate's waist and moved into the tiny thrust Stiles' delivered. They weren't going much farther so Stiles just settled in to kiss Ricky some more. He did what he could to rub his scent into Ricky's clothes and skin. There scent of pack had faded into the background again; layered underneath the Derek/Ricky/Stiles scent which was taking the forefront. Braeden's scent was there as well, since Stiles was usually with the other beta if he wasn't with Derek or Ricky.

Stiles leaned back just enough to whisper against Ricky's lips, "How much work do you have for tonight?"

Ricky shook his head, possibly to clear the overwhelming lust that Stiles could smell coming from the beta or maybe to answer, Stiles wasn't sure but he smiled anyway and settled at the pulse point in Ricky's neck, lapping at the quickening pulse a little bit at a time, until he was sucking a mark into the skin but it immediately started to disappear. Even between mates, the only thing that took time to heal was a Mating Bite, hickeys only ever stayed for a little while on Omega's because it was another source of ownership though Stiles didn't like them all the time, normally that was something they did during Heat but he loved to leave marks on Ricky and Derek even though they barely lasted more than a few minutes.

After a few shuddering breathes from Ricky, Stiles tried asking again, "Well?"

"A lot, dammit Stiles, you are good at this."

Stiles grinned, "Only with you and Der. If you need to get to work that's fine, I just wanted to be close and get all those other smells of strangers and seriously… who is that girl who keeps rubbing up against you? Her scent is really heavy along your side and down your neck," Stiles said with an aching grumble of jealousy, he'd scented that female on Ricky more than once and she seemed to be spreading her scent on him more and more these days. He knew Ricky would never stray; the beta was deeply secure in the fact that he belonged to and with Stiles and Derek but this was a blatant attempt to cause jealous within a mated pair—trio. Unless she wasn't aware that Ricky was taken but they all wore rings on their ring fingers so it was possible that she didn't care enough to pay attention and Ricky was being his normal too-kind self.

"She's just one of my classmates, she is new to the school and she is finding her way."

Stiles rubbed his scent in over the female's scent, trying to overwhelm it with his own. She smelled like a beta but she could have also been an Alpha, he couldn't tell as was normal sometimes with transferred scents, too much was lost to quickly in a glancing scent whereas scent marking between mates or pack mates was a longer endeavor so each wolf that a pack mate came into contact with would understand that this wolf did not stand alone.

The scent was definitely not an omega but then again as far as he knew, an omega was taught from a young age that the less people knew and carried their scent, the safer they would be. This female was blatantly rubbing her scent into Ricky, "Did she not understand that you wear a ring because you are mated?" Stiles demanded even as he moved against his beta's body, causing Ricky's breath to catch and quicken, the jealous need to make Ricky come so their scent was all over each other coming over Stiles until he couldn't handle the instinct to claim, to mark and to remind the world that Ricky had a mate who loved him, who wanted and would fight for him.

Ricky gasped into a deep thrust of Stiles' hips and grunted, "She didn't understand the meaning, she didn't understand that I was mated. She believed that I was free to be taken or courted; I let her know the truth. She backed off," Ricky gasped out in between Stiles' continuing jerky rhythm.

"Who do you belong to? Who loves you and fights for you?" Stiles demanded.

"You, Stiles I belong whole heartedly to you and I love you. Please?" he whispered, the words begging for something only Stiles could give. Stiles opened the little channel at the back of his mind, the bond between him and his mates, there was nothing stopping the pleasure they were sharing from each other before he reached out for Derek. He wanted to Alpha to be a part of even from far away, he didn't know what Derek was even doing at the moment and didn't realize what a bad idea it was before he could feel Derek's passionate groan in the back of his mind.

 _"I'm working guys, you couldn't wait thirty minutes?"_ the alpha demanded in panting annoyance. Stiles grunted, unable to answer as he felt, through no understanding of how this worked, as Derek's pleasure seeped back into them through the bond. It moved through Stiles, as the vessel to carry the love and companionship of these two beautiful men. Their movements became choppy and sped up as clothes were opened and the two wolves pressed close as they got closer to coming.

"Ricky smells like another female, she believed she had a right to scent mark him, she doesn't does she Garrick?" Stiles whispered, amazed when he could feel Derek's growl of need and that green tint of jealous slid in through the pleasurable feedback loop. Then Derek's pleasure disappeared when the bond was tamped down quickly and Stiles groaned at the loss, the fever pitch dampening down to a high simmer and he wondered if Derek just got fed up about being interrupted at work or if he was on his way now but Stiles didn't think he could wait for the Alpha to race home even if he was only a few minutes from here. He gestured to the bedroom and Ricky grunted his agreement before they stumbled arm in arm towards the bedroom. Stiles pressed Ricky down onto the bed and pulled out the lube and squirted some into his hand before he pressed it into Ricky's hand as well. They continued to move together, closer to the final event. Stiles was going to press into his beta and relieve the jealousy and possessive need he felt at the moment.

Stiles loved making love with his mates, there is nothing more than being filled and being surrounded by all the heat of his lovers but right now the only thing he wanted more was the need to mark Ricky with his scent, inside and out. He just hoped Derek would be here soon to join in. Just as they started getting to the point of no return Stiles heard the door slam somewhere behind him just as Ricky signaled that he was done waiting. They were going to rise together, Derek was coming in soon and there was nothing stopping them from finding release together.

Derek walked across the room and spoke, "You started without me, I need you both right now. This isn't going to take much. You worked me over really good by reach through the bond. I could feel everything and thank god my boss likes me because seriously, you guys are going to make me lose my job."

The touching continued and they finally moved together and then with a quick change, Derek was pressing into the beta and speaking the words he wanted to say to their mate, "You belong to us Ricky, don't shower us off of your skin for the rest of the evening, maybe the scent of us will prove to this female that there is no place in your heart for her, no place in your bed," on the last word, Derek pressed into Ricky's body and the beta cried out and gripped at Derek and Stiles with a hissed, "Yes. Don't stop. I need you!"

Derek's rhythm never stopped, as they raced the desperate race to the finish then Stiles opened the steam-rolling engine of lust between them in the bond and they all froze at the overload and collapsed in an orgasmic haze.

Stiles heaved in a couple of deep breaths before he tried to push up and away from Ricky's chest but his arms just wobbled and he collapsed against the beta. Derek shifted off to the side and out of Ricky, which allowed the omega to slip off of the other man as well. Stiles found himself on his back and looking at the ceiling of their bedroom and zoning in and out on the pattern of the wall while they all crawled back down from the pleasure precipice that seemed so tall today.

"Okay, that might be one of our top five, maybe."

Derek chuckled but said nothing, there was nothing to say then without any warning whatsoever, the scent of shame and sadness overwhelmed the scent of clean lust and happiness and both the omega and Alpha shifted immediately to Ricky, tears floating down from his cheeks and into the pillow.

"Garrick, what's wrong?" Derek asked, his voice a crooning caress that just barely stayed on the side of comforting rather than rattled and afraid. Stiles immediately pressed a hand to the beta's cheek and pulled his gaze back to them when he realized Ricky was trying to turn away from them.

"What's the matter Ricky?" Stiles asked gently, pressing his lips to the side of Ricky's face.

"She was so pretty and I couldn't help but think for a second that I was pleased with the attention. I hated myself, still do for thinking it and allowing her to continue when I knew what she wanted, the scent of lust was all over her and she was mine for the taking if I wanted her and I wanted it for a moment. I would have never done anything but I thought about it for two seconds, that this thing we have was never going to go the distance, not for me."

Stiles' heart constricted and he shrank away from the fear and shame permeating their bedroom. Ricky would have never done anything but the sex, heady with the idea of claiming him again physically wrapped Ricky's mind around the idea that for more than a second he thought about someone else. Stiles didn't know how to take that, Derek pressed close to his back and the omega was grateful for the wall of heat behind him since he didn't think he could ever feel warm again if they lost Ricky.

"Stiles, calm down, both of you calm down right now," Derek stated calmly, there was no wolf command to his voice just the reminder from their mate that freaking out was not going to help anything at the moment. Stiles took a deep breath and waited while Derek reached out and pulled Ricky close for a hug, pressing Stiles in between his two large mates for a damp hug. Ricky shoved his nose into Stiles' neck and shuddered as the tears fell, Stiles couldn't stop from reaching out and holding him close and Derek held them both as close as he could. The cold he felt in his heart dissipated before it could solidify and Stiles whispered into Ricky's hair, "You can't make us leave you. I love you, we both do and we would never be right again without you. I need you Garrick."

"I don't know what's wrong with me, we've been together for almost a year now."

"Gari, you are only a werewolf, a human and a wolf's heart and one that believed for most of his life that a bond could never touch your heart, that there would never be anything like that for you. Give yourself a break and be ready for us to fight for you to stay every minute for the rest of our life, I don't need you or want you because of Stiles, I need you because you are smart and caring and you have the sweetest smile I have ever seen. There is nothing I wouldn't do to keep you. Do you believe me?"

Ricky nodded into Stiles' neck, while the omega kept petting the beta's curling dirty blonde hair. He pressed a kiss into the cooling side of Ricky's head where he could taste the sweat and tears and hugged him tightly again. "She was just so sure, it made me falter for a moment and I couldn't help but be flattered."

"Do you feel that we do not court you as you should be?" Stiles asked.

Ricky leaned back and glared at the omega's innocent question, "It is not your job to court me, but ours to love and court you Stiles."

Stiles frowned then he turned back and traded a smile with Derek before they turned back to hug Ricky again, "Yes it is, we shall just have to see about this mister."

Ricky snuggled in close again, "I'm sorry I was so weak."

Stiles scoffed, "Did you kiss her?"

Ricky winced and struggled against Stiles' hug, "What! No! Of course not, I just thought about it for a second."

"Sometimes our thoughts are going to move a little faster than we can keep up, Gari." Derek said with a sigh, "You are not guilty of anything. I have known Stiles was my omega from a very young age and yet that did not stop me from wondering and acting on those thoughts a few times, Stiles and I were not together but that did not keep the shame from seeping into my thoughts and feelings. Thoughts are not cheating unless you are actively searching out those thoughts, and then looking for a way to act on them. Do you want to be with someone else?"

Ricky shook his head, the tears falling more quickly now as the scent cleansed away the shame in the room. Stiles just keep holding him close, "I love you both so much, I feel it in my head and heart, I can't believe it sometimes but I would never have asked for someone else. You are all I ever dreamed of in my feverish dreams and wishes to be an omega or alpha. I wished for you both, I just didn't know I would have you."

"Give yourself a break then Ricky, you belong to us and if she acts out again, remember that we are going to fight for you. My heart couldn't handle losing you," Stiles stated.

"Ditto," Derek stated and they fell quiet. After a few minutes, they sensed when Ricky fell into an exhausted sleep and they moved away a little bit so Stiles could turn into Derek's naked chest. He curled in close, fitting himself easily to the alpha's body and pressed a kiss to Derek's mouth.

"Hello my love," Stiles whispered.

"Hello my Stiles," Derek whispered back, "We probably shouldn't let him sleep for long, he has a lot of work to do before tomorrow."

Stiles nodded, thinking the same thing, "We should discuss this misconception that it is only Ricky's job and your job to love me, when is it my turn to love you both in return and if Ricky is feeling flattered by someone else, then we are doing something wrong."

"Or not at all," Derek said with a frown.

"Operation Court our Beta it is," Stiles whispered jubilantly and he watched as Derek got that sappy, putting-up-with-Stiles smile on his face and kissed the alpha before he continued, "We could call is OCB for short."

Derek pressed another kiss to Stiles' mouth, "Shut up Stiles."

Stiles laughed and they fell silent, starting to think up ideas for OCB to go into effect. Stiles wondered if it would work to also court Derek, if the alpha would let him. There was nothing in him that said he should be the passive one in this relationship and even if he was horribly out of touch with the whole romance thing didn't mean he couldn't try. There was something to be said about the ability to try and try again, until he got it right and that girl never had another chance to hit on their beta.

Of course it was another aspect of being allowed to be out and proud as a trio instead of a couple. The school barely recognized them as a trio, their friends did because they had seen them together for almost a year now and there were more than one trio but as more people came into the campus, they would be questioned again and again. Plus they had the added danger of attempting to keep a low profile and how did one keep such a profile while being out and proud about a relationship that nobody understood and constantly called into question. He didn't think there was a way and maybe there would soon come a time where Stiles would have to make a choice between the two otherwise they really could lose Ricky because everyone was so busy telling him that he had no place with Stiles and Derek. They knew it wasn't true but that was the problem with wolves, sometimes they were just as judgmental as people and more likely to cause problems to destroy something beautiful or different. It was the only thing that made sense since there were so many alphas and werewolves willing to stand back while omegas were harmed by alphas or sold to the highest bidder, none of those things should have been happening but they did all without the added danger that human hunters added to the mix.

"What are you thinking of doing little man? Your silence is disturbing and I can feeling your thoughts zipping around," Derek whispered, still letting Ricky sleep off the emotional exhaustion at the moment. Stiles was done for the day and he guessed since Derek was only going to two classes, and working on a lot of his work on the down time in the garage that he was laying here because he didn't have anywhere to be.

He did know that he couldn't really tell Derek all of what he was thinking, sometimes it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission, and this was probably going to be one of those times, though he would have to give Derek something, "I am thinking that OCB is going to be an ongoing operation, with many missions."

Derek snorted and Stiles knew he was rolling his eyes which meant that the Alpha knew Stiles well enough that OCB was not the reason for his racing minds, at least not mostly but he was willing to let it go for now.

Stiles was determined to see them all through this, he would not lose Ricky because they couldn't handle sitting in the fire for a little while. It would have to be worth the pain and consequences, anything would be to keep both of his mates.


	9. Visiting Family

**Chapter Nine: Visiting Family**

 **Author's note: Sorry about the code, I didn't know there was a problem. I hope this fixes it**

Ricky woke up when Stiles nudged him and reminded him that he'd been worried about getting his homework done so he nodded and redressed, not cleaning the scent of their mating from his skin as he threw on a t-shirt and sweat pants, letting them ride low on his hips and no underwear. Stiles growled gently and Ricky laughed as he kissed both of his mates before heading to the other room and the work desk. He did had work that he needed to finish but there was a slice of worry still eating at him, he attempted to keep it from seeping from his skin but he knew they would sense it if he stayed close to Derek and Stiles so he soaked up the chance to delve into his workload.

He didn't know if he deserved to have Stiles and Derek in his life and they were apparently not going to give him up without a fight, he didn't want to push at them and force them to fight but the fear that it was coming, the break up, ate at the peace and serenity he'd had with them all this time.

Ricky could honestly say he'd felt no attraction to the woman earlier, he didn't even want to think her name because he was still reeling from the thought that he'd cheated by letting her scent be all over him. Ricky could honestly say that he felt like he'd cheated on his mates in that moment of disbelief and straying thoughts and there was no way it was just going to dissipate immediately despite the fact that Derek and Stiles had done everything they could to be sure he knew he was loved and cared for.

He wasn't an alpha, having searched in his youth for a mate or an omega, he wasn't an omega, one with innocence just waiting for the soul bond to touch his heart. Garrick hadn't been a slut of any order but he'd slept around in his youth and never felt anything like he did with Derek and Stiles but it didn't make his past just disappear. He'd slept with both males and females, werewolves and humans, a couple of other creatures as well; witches and banshees, something he didn't want to touch again and whenever he looked at Lydia he wondered if anyone else knew what she really was. She ran as a wolf but there was something else about her and he wondered every once in a while if she knew what she was. Stiles had lived a sheltered life, an omega who couldn't be found out, protected by his best friend who was an alpha and his father the sheriff. Derek had lived among werewolves his whole life, not having had much experience with other creatures that existed because he'd left Beacon Hills and Ricky knew that the town was truly a Beacon for the supernatural. He'd learned a lot about it in the past year. He'd come from a different kind of sheltered, growing up with all sorts of people, in a mundane school and unable to show the world what he was capable, constantly hiding a little bit of who he was until he came to college and moved in with Stiles.

It meant they were all excitedly different but there was one downside to growing up never thinking in terms of mates, he'd never planned to be 'married' at the age of eighteen and maybe there was a much bigger part of him than he even knew that didn't think he was ready for such a thing.

The other part of him was petrified of the truth, telling them and losing his mates for being unsure and young. That's why he felt that he'd cheated in that moment. And now he didn't know how to go back to being so thankful for having them and not noticing some she-wolf and panting a little and resenting Stiles and Derek just a little bit.

The sex had been amazing, reminding him he didn't need or want anything else but it didn't alleviate the desire to know he was more than the beta to an alpha and an omega. He didn't know how to not feel the way he did right now and he hated himself for it.

And he needed to get his homework done which would get him some solitude and a perfectly good excuse to hide out until he could get rid of these awful and ridiculous feelings that had no place in his amazing relationship with Stiles and Derek.

Several hours passed like that, Ricky focused on his homework then the next week's work while Stiles and Derek hoped for him to get done. They studied as well, Stiles made some dinner and they ate. Derek and Stiles were on the couch and he wished he could move over and sit with them especially when Derek suddenly laughed at something Stiles did and grabbed the omega and pressed him back for a quick and dirty kiss. He couldn't move and they stopped then there was a knock on the door and everyone frowned at each other for a moment before Derek moved to answer the second knock. He opened it a little then looked over to Ricky before he pulled the door open the rest of the way to show his little sister Ravyn standing there, her brown pixie cut in a flyaway from being outside and a backpack over her shoulder and a smirk on her face.

"Rave?" Ricky asked in surprise as the younger teen pushed the door open and shouldered past Derek before she took a deep breath and must've smelled what they'd been up to and groaned.

"What the hell? You guys can't air it out when you fuck like bunnies in Heat?"

"Rave!" Ricky scolded as he looked over at Stiles who flushed red but crossed his arms over his chest, daring her to pass judgment on them for some reason. Derek just rolled his eyes and looked over at Ricky again. He couldn't stop from answer the demand for answers, "I don't know why she's here or how she even got here. Rave, see previous questions!"

Ravyn raised her eyebrow at Ricky before she dropped down on the couch before she bounced right back up and looked around the room then headed right for the chair where Ricky had been sitting and took his chair, "I am going to hope you've never had sex in this chair. It doesn't smell as much as the couch does. Wow, mom and dad really don't have near as much sex as you guys do, there are places all over the house I _don't_ smell them but you guys… geez…"

"Excuse me, how did you get here? Do mom and dad know where you are? And again, why are you here!?" Ricky shouted.

Ravyn flinched and glared at him, she was clearly going to have the backbone of an alpha before long, she had never been cowed by any of them, Ricky thought as she turned and looked Stiles up and down in his sweat pants and overly large sweater before she looked over Derek with his wife beater and sweat pants. "Okay well mom and dad agreed to me coming here, though they figured I had told you I was on my way. I am here to check out the campus as one of my choices and I road my motorcycle. Duh…"

Ricky's eyes widened at that, surprised that their overly protective parents had allowed his baby sister to get something so dangerous. Then again its possible with her adult status looming they were incapable of getting her to comply with anything they wanted or didn't want. "So you figured you would come here and barge into the home I share with my mates and then harangue us for sharing sexual intimacy with each other. Have you never heard of tact Rave? Do you not understand that Stiles has Heats and we share them with him and this bullshit judgment about what we do or don't do in our own home is ridiculous so knock it off!" Most of what he said was spoken in a low tone as he walked across the room and grabbed her, the last two sentences were said as he walked her back outside and slammed the door on them. He scrubbed a hand through his curly hair, and she stared at him, blank and confused at his angry tirade. Ricky took in another deep breath and pressed up against the wall next to the door.

"What's going on here Garrick?" Ravyn asked, her voice gentle and soothing, in deference to whatever emotions were rolling off of him in waves, there were to many for him to name at the moment and he wondered what she thought about it all.

"I am freaking out, okay!" he sneered and then groaned, hating himself for taking out his confusion on his little sister.

"You've been with them for about a year huh?" she asked with a resolute nod, like she knew something that he didn't and he was an idiot for not knowing.

He frowned, "Almost, why would you say that?"

Ravyn nodded towards the stairs and started walking, he stumbled as he tried to get to his feet again and reached inside the apartment for his keys, wallet and a light coat before he waved to Derek and Stiles who stared at him in confusion, "Be right back."

They nodded, though they didn't lose the worry on their face but he didn't have time, when Ravyn moved forward with something she rarely slowed down to include people who proved to be too slow, her brother included. He found her standing next to a motorcycle, true to her word about that though he didn't think she would have lied about that anyway. He frowned at her, "You don't want me to get on that do you?" he asked.

Ravyn snorted, "I don't want to take you anywhere, you might run for cover and never come back. I can smell the panic on you, what the hell is going on with you?"

"I'm not panicking, what the hell would you say that for?" he griped.

"Because I have watched you be utterly terrified of commitment for your whole life, you have gotten to a year a few times but around your anniversary or several weeks before they all fell apart and those were the ones who had stuck around and just kept staying with you. There were a few that I would have given them the boot as quickly as possible but there were others that were sweet and good to you. Garrick, you are utterly terrified right now and let me guess, you saw some perky little thing and for the first time she flirted back and all of a sudden you don't know what your doing here with two guys and off you go."

Ricky crossed his arms over his chest, "I thought you came to see the campus, why don't we go see some of it now and stop talking about this. You are not my therapist and most of my girlfriends and boyfriends never made it to a year or longer because they were one night stands."

"You think that's going to change the fact that you are terrified of sticking with something that I can honestly, as your sister, say that is the best thing that has ever happened to you? Whatever you thought about with whoever caused this freak-fest is meaningless unless you let her in. She doesn't mean anything if you love your mates, you have mates Ricky! That is the thing that you wished for, you wrote about in all of your journals and was so terrified of wishing for out loud, don't give them up. Let go of whatever this miniscule concern is that you think has the power to destroy your bond."

Ricky uncrossed and re-crossed his arms mulishly, "You don't know me," he responded even as his heart rate picked up and started slamming against his ribcage because she did know him, somehow she knew him better than he figured she did. They had not been the closest of family, used to standing alone rather than together though they had a small community that he belonged to but in some ways he'd never really trusted anything or anyone, afraid to wish for to much all the while he'd wished for the impossible. He'd wished and wished and now when he had it, he was going to do something stupid because he was utterly afraid of having it now that he did.

"Oh god!" he exclaimed, he wished he could scream but all that came out was a terrified whisper. Ravyn nodded a little bit then grabbed the helmet from the handlebar. She placed it on her head, flipping up the face shield before she handed him a spare from under the seat, "I lied, get on. We're going for a ride. You'll thank me later for it."

Ricky, reeling still from his revelation, took the helmet and got on as the bike roared to life and he barely had time to grip his sister's waist before they were flying away from the parking lot, he barely looked up to see Stiles in the window, his arms wrapped around his waist and he didn't even need to be in the same room to know Stiles was worried as he watched the beta drive away.

Ricky didn't know how to reassure him, there was nothing he could say to make the truth of his past any less true, there was nothing he could do or say that would make the fear and worry any less powerful in this one moment when all he knew how to do was hurt the two men who bonded with him.

As Ravyn took off, she got onto the road and there was nothing in her way so she accelerated as quickly as possible. Ricky allowed the sound of the wind to kick everything else out of his mind, the speed and the excitement in his sister and he realized something right before she kicked it into the next gear, his sister was happy on this thing. She loved letting to world just go and as he heard the shift in the bike's system, he loved it too. Nothing mattered besides the wind and the speed and the closeness of family, Ravyn knew him and loved him and that was all that mattered right this second. He didn't know what to do or say to Derek or Stiles but he did know that for this moment on this ridiculously dangerous bike, he didn't need an answer to his problems.

He threw his head back and felt as the wind slipped in through the helmet and around his face. He felt when Ravyn howled out her joy and laughed with her. There was nothing more and he just waited to see when she would take him home.


	10. Alpha Omega

**Chapter Ten: Alpha / Omega**

"What's going on here Der?" Stiles asked gently as he watched Ricky drive away from their home on a motorcycle with his little sister. He didn't even know what to think about that. Derek walked over and pressed close to his back, wrapping his arms around Stiles' waist and pressed a kiss to the side of Stiles' throat. The omega easily tilted his head to accept the comfort of Derek's touch before he pulled away and walked back over to the desk and looked down at the homework that Ricky left spread all over the counter and looked at the dates they were due, finding it to be two weeks from now. He frowned and walked back to the couch and Derek followed him. He gently tucked himself close to Derek and took in the comfort the alpha offered, "Derek we can't lose him."

Derek pressed a kiss to the side of his head, "We're not going to lose him."

"How can you say that? He's been twitchy all day and he's been distant for weeks now. Ever since Heat and now he's riding on the back of a motorcycle with his sister who we didn't know was coming, you think he's not running home? He was doing everything he could to stay away from us after he told us what happened."

Derek just tightened his arm around Stiles' shoulder and whispered, "I know we're not going to lose him because I refuse to lose him. We can't go on without him, we love him so we are going to fight until we don't have any breath left and then we are going to keep fighting."

Stiles sighed and nodded a little bit and they fell silent. They were both going to got to bed whether Ricky was with them or not, Derek had an early morning with class and so did Stiles, Ricky would find his way home if he planned to do so, they could force him to come home. So they sat up until it was way past their normal crawl-into-bed time then stumbled into the bedroom and fell asleep, Stiles couldn't help but notice the cold spot at his front where Ricky always slept but he closed his eyes and focused on Derek's breathing and let the sound lull him into sleep.

When they woke up the next morning Stiles sighed when he figured out that Ricky wasn't there, he'd never come home. He rushed out to the living room, finding Ricky's books and homework where he'd left it yesterday when he rushed out with his sister. Stiles slumped down into Ricky's chair and pinched the bridge of his nose and Derek was there at his shoulder and he could hear the jingling of a phone, looking up and seeing the phone pressed against Derek's cheek. Stiles shook his head but Derek just ignored him as the voicemail picked up and he growled into the recording, "Garrick, call us back as soon as you get this, Stiles is worried sick you aren't coming home. What the hell is going on right now?"

Then he hung up and dragged Stiles to his feet and hugged him, Stiles pushed his nose into Derek's throat and took in his Alpha's scent and pulled himself together. He nodded as he pulled away and Derek's fingers threaded through his hair and he nodded back, "You have to get through the day, you have a class and then you are going to be at the newspaper. Whether or not he's done doing whatever the hell he's dealing with right now, we have to go to class and so on. Okay? We didn't lose him okay?"

Stiles nodded, jerking his head up and down in the gentle restraint of Derek's palms before he walked back woodenly to the bedroom and started getting ready. He had class so he grabbed his bag, it also had his laptop and everything he needed for the newspaper before he walked quietly into the bathroom and took a shower, following Derek closely who just pressed a gentle hand to his shoulder before getting ready to leave as well. They met at the door and Stiles tucked his quiet phone into his red Beacon Hills sweater before Derek tugged him closer for a hug and then they walked out, separating at the curb with one more kiss. He didn't honestly know how he was going to get through the day without knowing one way or another what was going on with Ricky, but he would do what he needed to do. He turned in his assignments, took notes from the lecture and ate lunch since he had no appetite that morning. He didn't feel like eating anything at lunchtime either but if he didn't eat then Derek was going to have his hide when he got back home.

Derek checked in regularly, and Stiles answered with monosyllabic answers until around two in the afternoon when his phone jingled and he recognized Scott's personal ringtone. He pushed the talk button and answered, "What's up Scott?"

"What happened? Derek is freaking out, well as freaking out as Derek can do. He used an emoticon and everything, the world is freaking ending and you need to tell me right now what the hell is going on?" Scott stammered out, ending on a heaving breath. Stiles smiled at the thought of Derek using an emoticon and wondered which one it was, probably some sort of frowning face, though Stiles didn't know how to make a frowning face.

"Ricky was freaked out yesterday and he didn't come home last night and I don't know what to think. What can I do if he chooses not to come home? I don't want to lose him Scott, I don't know what Derek and I are without him, except incomplete."

"Stiles, you need to remember all the things we learned about omegas, even the minimal stuff we did learn. The omega of the pack is the den mother, and the empathic one of the pack, they feel the losses more readily and are more prone to depression because of the hormones to allow for fertilization, remember all the facts and place them next to what your feeling. Remember that you can choose to stay in this depressed mode right now; you need to get a handle on it before Derek loses it too. He is on the verge because he doesn't know how to help Ricky and he knows you are hurting with this. You have to be the glue of the pack Stiles, I know it's not fair and you just want to hurt right now but you need to remember who you are."

Stiles took a deep breath and thought about all the things his best friend was telling him, surprised that Scott remembered all of that. It wasn't that surprising maybe since Stiles was his best friend and he'd been there through everything, he'd been there for every scrap of information that Stiles could find about his Caste and he'd been there for all the times Stiles felt his mother's death and the fact that he would never have siblings and the possibility of losing his father to the drinking and depression. All those things, there was Scott to protect and support Stiles when he would have been alone otherwise. He took a couple of deep breaths and forced the smile back to his lips and spoke.

"I hear you brother, I hear you."

Scott sighed; Stiles could feel the relief in his brother's quickened breath before he answered, "Good, you should call Derek and calm him with the knowledge that you are doing well despite the circumstances. He doesn't know how to handle a sad and quiet Stiles."

"I will," Stiles returned then begged off before he dialed his mate's number.

"Stiles, love, how are you?" Derek's voice was filled with the anxiety of an alpha who could feel the bonds of his pack stretching to the point of breaking.

The omega took in a deep breath and smiled, forcing the happiness into his tone, "I'm good Derek, I just ate lunch, then I need to grab some things from the apartment before I head over to Braeden's to work on the paper."

"Okay and how are you Stiles? I have been worried about you all morning, I can barely get anything done," He started.

"I'm okay Derek," he paused, "Have you heard anything from Ricky?" he asked, his voice shuddering in fear of answer.

"No, I would tell you as soon as I do, my love. I promise you that."

Stiles nodded and turned towards home, "I got to go, text me later okay?" he whispered, trying to hold back the tears making their escape from his eyelids, there was nothing to stop him from hanging up the phone and shuddering as he crumpled to the ground in the hallway of the building where his class was. There was nothing he could do to get Ricky back if the beta didn't want to be with them any more. He pressed against the wall and slammed his head back against the hard surface. He really wanted to be what Derek needed him to be, he was desperate for it in fact but there was nothing left in him that was okay with the idea of being okay without Garrick.

He closed his eyes against the desperate need to cry out the pain in his heart then without even thinking, reached out for Garrick through the link but what he found was a block. There was a wall in the way of his bond and so he closed his eyes even tighter and dug at the wall with his all his mental strength. He stripped and scraped at the wall until he could see a sliver of light from the other side and he felt the pain rip through his side like a deep wound had magically opened there. He felt Garrick's pain and anger; there was terror and rage but he didn't understand the cause of the dangerous emotions. Stiles grappled, punching at the wall with as much of his mental abilities as he could. He imagined the line of mountain ash the desperate need to get through that made it possible, he ripped at the wall using his mind as a wrecking ball. He needed to know what was happening to Ricky and the small glimpse was doing nothing to get him the information he needed to get Ricky back from whatever was happening to him at the moment. In his physical body, he jerked his phone close and shuddered as he tried to call Derek but he couldn't tell if the call ever went through because the wall ripped open and there was everything Ricky was feeling and there was nothing good to be had. Stiles screamed out, the sound of his pain manifested into sound that shattered the quiet and forced his lungs to pulse in the effort of the sound.

Someone was sinking a live wire into Ricky's body, straight into his body so the electrically current would keep him from shifting, taken a few degrees higher and it was start to mitigate the healing and strength of his wolf. Stiles' foot kicked out and thudded into the wall across from him, giving him a slight tether in reality instead of the pain his partner was feeling at the moment, a reminder he needed to do anything for his love. He could hear Derek's voice, speaking and shouting from somewhere far away.

"Stiles, what's going on? Stiles, please!" the alpha demanded, anxiety ratcheting up every sentence when Stiles didn't answer.

"Derek, he's hurt. Someone has him and they are hurting him, please Derek, we have to find him."

"Stiles, where are you? What are you talking about?"

"Someone has Ricky!" Stiles screamed and slammed his palms into the sides of his head, wishing now that he'd never taken the wall down. Ricky had erected it somehow to protect them or himself, Stiles didn't know either way but now that it was down, he couldn't help but feel everything the beta was feeling and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Where are you Stiles?" Derek demanded, his alpha command clear in his voice.

"I am in the English building, the hall is empty, I am taking my normal back way. We have to help him Derek, I can feel everything they are doing to him," Stiles cried the words, his breathing quickened in panic and the sounds of his panting reaching his ears from far away. He couldn't see anything in front of him, there was nothing but Ricky's pain. His body arched as the electrical current buzzed and jumped, he felt the echo of the pain and there was nothing he could do. He had no extra abilities to heal beyond accelerating it a little bit and there was nothing he could give to Ricky. What good was being special if he couldn't help his beloved beta?

"I'm coming to you Stiles, we'll find him. Just stay on the phone with me. I am going to text Braeden and have them call your father, he can work in conjunction with the campus police and the sheriff's station. We're going to get him back. Are you hearing me Stiles?"

Stiles nodded but he couldn't do anything else in the face of the agony ripping through his muscles and then someone was there, and it was the same scent that had clung ever so thoroughly to Ricky's clothes and skin. He looked over into the bright blue eyes of a beta, she had long dark brown hair and a strangely beautiful yet angular face. "You!" he accused.

She frowned then breathed him in, "You are Garrick's lover then?" she asked though she didn't need to, Stiles knew Ricky's scent was all over him and vice versa. She was being purposefully obtuse. "What's wrong with you? You need something right?" she demanded.

"I need Ricky and Derek. Derek is coming, Ricky needs our help," the words slipped from his lips absent thought or purpose, this she-wolf had no right to the information he was giving out but he couldn't seem to stop the words from leaving his lips. Part of him had been a little concerned that he'd gone and found this wolf and left with her but now that she was in front of him and Ricky was in such agony, answered the question of if she'd been involved.

He didn't hear or see anything as the pain shuttered in and out of focus. There was no rhyme or reason in the pattern of pain, only the possible desire to hurt and do the most damage to Ricky but the she-wolf did not leave Stiles' side and he didn't know how much time had passed before there was a shouting growl and Derek was next to him.

"Who are you? Get away from my mate!" Derek sneered at the woman and Stiles turned towards his Alpha.

"Derek, I hurt everywhere, I tore down the wall and now I can feel everything," Stiles whimpered the words and tears continued to trickle down his cheeks over and over. The She-wolf did no back off though, even in the face of Derek's alpha countenance.

Stiles felt when the painful edges of what Ricky was feeling softened and Derek groaned, he was taking Stiles' pain and probably getting a dose of Ricky's as well. There was nothing Stiles could do to help, he lay helplessly in the loving embrace of his alpha and hoped they would find Ricky soon. In the soothing darkness of healing touch from Derek, Stiles slipped into the darkness where Ricky's pain wouldn't touch him.

"Who are you? I know your scent!" Derek growled his accusation at the she-wolf sitting far to close to his omega. The scent that Stiles had found on Ricky, she was the one who had been flirting with him and led to their amazing sex yesterday. Of course it had also led to Ricky leaving, feeling freaked and distant from them.

"My name is Malia Tate, I am new here. Ricky was nice to me, I offered to scratch the itch and he told me that he was taken. I did not realize he would have two of you, that seems odd."

"I don't really care what you think, what happened to him?" Derek flashed red eyes at her and she snarled back at him.

"I found him like this, screaming and back stretched out in some unseen pain. He realized who I was then you arrived, I have done nothing to your mate, or to Ricky—if that's what your thinking. I was deeply concerned when he didn't show up to class, he's never late and I just happened to be the one who found this one."

Derek glared at her, his eyebrow raised in demand of the truth and she just glared back again, completely unconcerned about the possibility of him doing harm to her. This Malia Tate was clearly made of sterner stuff, especially since she was a beta.

"I need to get him out of here, his father should be meeting us at the doctor's office where Stiles' personal physician works. Will you help me get him there?" he asked, taking a chance in trusting this wolf with one of his most beloved mates. He needed to get as much information from Stiles so he could go and look for Ricky, which also made him wonder if Ravyn had also been taken. Stiles only had access to Ricky through the bond so he would also need to call Ricky's parents and see if they had heard from either of their children.

Malia nodded after a moment and between the two of them, got Stiles up and out of the building then into the jeep since it was there and it was more comfortable than the Camaro. She got into the passenger seat as well and just waited for him to drive and so they did. Derek broke every speed law from the campus to Deaton's place and made it there just as the Sherriff was parking his cruiser. John Stilinski rushed out of the cruiser and threw open the door, catching Stiles as the omega stumbled out of the vehicle with little control over what his body was doing. Derek took a deep breath as he tried to figure out what the hell he was supposed to say to the father of his mate, that he couldn't take care of either one and it happened bare weeks after his nascent pack had disbanded for the summer. There was nothing he could say because he just choked on the overwhelming shame that ate at his insides and desired a swift end to him if he could not reclaim Stiles and Ricky.

John and Derek tag-teamed Stiles into the clinic and they were immediately waved into one of the rooms where Stiles' twitching body was gently laid on the hospital bed. Deaton walked into the room, all business and calming influence. It helped especially when Derek's first response was to growl and remove all the other people from Stiles' space. John quickly tugged Derek back and pushed him into another chair, far enough away that Deaton would have room but close enough that Derek could reach out and touch Stiles. The omega's father leaned down and placed a hand on Derek's tense shoulder.

"Derek I need you to tell me anything you know about this, right now!" the gentle command in the man's voice activated Derek's need to retain control; he took a deep breath and started talking.

"Stiles called me about a half an hour ago and he was screaming and crying. He said that somebody took Ricky and they were torturing him. I don't know how Stiles knows this and I don't, I don't know if Stiles knows anything else because I took his pain and it knocked him out. I've never felt what he was feeling and if that was just an echo of what Ricky is feeling, then our mate doesn't have a lot of time."

"Okay Derek, well as far as I knew from Claudia, the omega has the power to sense and find their mates if they are in trouble but we need to get him awake again. You need to find your calm because if you are freaking out that isn't going to help him."

Derek nodded and he bent forward and took in a couple of deep breaths before he felt centered again. John was bent over Stiles while Deaton whispered to him about whatever he was finding. Then Derek sat up and nodded resolutely, finding Malia staring at him, as if waiting to see what he would do.

"Okay, what can we do about Ricky?" Derek asked as we moved over and pressed a hand into Stiles' head.

John sighed as he looked over to Deaton where he was checking Stiles over gently. "We need to wake up Stiles, get as much information from him then we need to see if we can find out what happened with Garrick yesterday."

"And Ravyn," Derek responded.

John frowned, "Garrick's little sister?" he asked.

"Yes, Ricky left with her last night and we haven't seen him since."

"You didn't call him and check in last night?" John asked.

Derek bristled, "He wanted to be alone, we didn't even know he hadn't been home yet until this morning then we had to keep going. He's not our slave, he's our mate and he needed some time with his sister. We had no way of knowing something like this might happen the second he was out of sight, most people won't even go after Ricky, he's been pretty insulated from the crazy."

"Derek, I mean no disrespect, I just know my son and I know your relationship pretty well. There must have been something pretty bizarre going on that you weren't in contact. I'm sure this is also happening. We need Stiles to wake up."

"'m wake," Stiles mumbled quietly and Derek turned to look at him and pressed a kiss to the side of the omega's head. "…hurts, Der."

Derek shushed him and took Stiles' hand while the omega's dad held his other hand. "Stiles, are you still in contact with Ricky?" John asked gently.

"Not contact, I feel what he feels, he's not hurting as much but it's steady. There is a constant current running through his body. I think he started building the wall between us again," Stiles spoke slowly and purposefully. The words seemed like they took even more time and effort from his genius omega. Derek pressed another kiss to his forehead while John refocuses Stiles with his next question.

"Stiles, you can learn something about what happened to him and where he is, you just need to connect with him, climb deeper into the connection not less."

Stiles shook his head, "Can't… Not strong enough…"

"Son, you are the only one strong enough to do this," John stressed gently.

Malia cleared his throat, "He left from the apartment building?" she asked.

Derek glared at her and Stiles groaned when he realized who she was, "Yes, but they were on a motorcycle, I don't think you can find the trail after hours and the speed in which they left."

Malia shook her head, "You don't understand, I know I saw them at the campus last night."

"When you were stalking him?" Stiles growled and Derek rubbed his fingers through Stiles hair to calm him.

"Ugh, just shut up for a second. I know where they were heading and they were on foot for a while around the campus. I spoke to him. I will return to the campus and see if I can get any other information about them."

Derek nodded then tossed his phone to her, "Put your number in the phone and make sure you get mine so you can contact me if you learn anything, don't get in the way of the campus cops and let me know immediately if you find anything."

She nodded, entered her number then sent a text to herself, her phone jingled in her pocket before she was out the door once more. Derek turned back as John started talking to Stiles again.

"Stiles, you need to sink into the connection with Ricky, see if he will replay his memories of the night before when he was taken. Anything you can glean from him will be useful."

Stiles nodded and he closed his eyes all the way and he sank into the deep sleep of someone who was trying to meditate. Derek was left with nothing to do besides comfort Stiles and help the omega with the pain a little at a time. He felt as the pain sank into him and dissipated slowly. He focused on the black veins on his hands and arms and waited as each session allowed Stiles to sink farther into their mate's mind.

And he waited for whatever Stiles would have for them before he went after Ricky; it was time to get the three of them back together and on the same page. Maybe talking to his sister had helped before whatever happened and after this, Derek was going to have a really hard time letting either of his mates out of his sight.


	11. Inside Your Mind

**Chapter Eleven: Inside Your Mind**

Stiles didn't know what he was doing at all. He took a couple of deep breaths and pulled at the memories of meditating that he'd done but it was like he'd lost it all somewhere. Instead of thinking about it, since that wasn't going to help him relax he just took a few more deep breaths and just did what he'd always done when it comes to his abilities. He just thought about what he wanted and went with it.

This time, he wanted to see Ricky, he needed to see what happened to him and Ricky was open to his presence. Stiles didn't feel any resistance as he looked into the recent past of the beta. Ricky had gotten on the bike with his sister and they drove off. He felt Ricky's release of tension, the letting go moment for him where he started laughing into his helmet, causing his sister to laugh as well.

He also felt the aching fear and disgust Ricky was feeling at the time, that he would dare to do something so stupid as to pull away from Derek and Stiles. The Omega's heart ached at the thought of his lover's self-recrimination. It was unfair for Stiles and Derek to assume he would never have another question or concern, he wasn't an alpha or omega who were taught to trust the bond, they were taught they would never have one. Believing in something he was never supposed to trust was hurting Ricky and it was causing him to fight against what they had, even in small ways.

Stiles sucked in a deep breath, feeling his physical chest rise and fall before he moved forward into the memory. He watched from his lover's eyes as brother and sister walked around the campus after the motorcycle ride and then they ran into Malia, Ricky didn't lead her on or make her feel as though she had a chance. Stiles couldn't help the sigh of relief at that even though he knew it hadn't happened. Then with a dull thud, Ravyn hit the ground and Ricky moved to defend his sister, looking up into the slightly shaded face of their attacker. Stiles gasped, recognizing Kate Argent immediately before Ricky too fell under the heavy swing of another assailant from behind.

Stiles came awake and grasped the back of his head, panting from the echoing pain in his skull. Derek was there and holding him close, nothing to say for a moment while his father spoke quietly to the doctor.

"Kate, she's back and she took him. I don't know if she also has Ravyn, undoubtedly she's back for me or all of us for that matter."

Derek's eyes flashed red in anger, Stiles took hold of his Alpha's hand as the older wolf spoke, "We need to get him back. How are we going to do that?"

Stiles looked at his father, "Records of her whereabouts, maybe Allison would know something?"

The Sherriff reached out and gripped Stiles' shoulder, "Stiles, I want you to settle down and stay in contact with Ricky, it's possible Kate or whoever was with her might let something slip or he'll remember something about his surroundings, though if there is a constant electrical current in his body, his extrasensory abilities will be curtailed as well. We might get lucky though; the hunters won't understand what Stiles is capable of. See if we can get an ID on the other culprit and just rest okay?"

Stiles nodded at his father, he leaned over and pressed his forehead into the older man's neck and he immediately folded himself around Stiles in an awkward sideways hug. "I love you dad, please find him for us."

His dad kissed him on the forehead, "I will son," before he turned and spoke to Deaton and walked out as he reached for the radio on his jacket. Stiles turned towards Derek and locked on the other wolf's face, catching the fear and rage coming off of him in waves as well as the fire red in his eyes. The Alpha leaned down and pressed a kiss to the side of Stiles' mouth, "We are going to get him back okay?"

"You promise?" Stiles asked.

Derek gave one resolute nod, "Yes we are. I don't know if I can stay with you, I need to go out there and see if Malia found anything. From what you described, it's possible they were attacked on campus which may give us a direction, there are cameras all over the campus."

"You gotta go," Stiles whispered, afraid to be alone but at the same time knowing that their mate needed Derek out there working on getting the beta back. They both knew with aching desperation that they were never going to be complete without Ricky so Stiles would suck it up and get Derek out on the scent. "Do you know where my phone is, so I can stay in contact with you if you learn anything?"

Derek handed him the phone, pulling it from one of his deep pockets before he leaned over and gave Stiles a deep kiss and then he was gone, leaving Stiles alone with Deaton who was staring down at him with a slightly intrigued look on his face.

"What's up Doc?" he asked, coughing a little to clear his throat.

"I called Scott, he's on his way here so you won't be alone," the doctor returned.

Stiles rolled his eyes, "Why? He shouldn't have to give up his time to be here."

Deaton clucked his tongue in immediate judgment of the omega before him. It was clear the doctor found him to be an idiot and Stiles rolled his eyes in return, "He is coming because he's your best friend and he would hate it if you had to be alone. Don't be an idiot about this Stiles, you know he loves you and would do anything for you."

Stiles nodded and fell silent; he wanted to have the best possible chance to find Ricky and if someone found him in the meantime, then Derek would fade and the wolf would take over. The loss of mates can and will cause the remaining mate to fall to madness, there is nothing that Derek wouldn't do for them so Stiles would stay safe so his beloved Alpha could return with Ricky and find his omega safe as well.

He closed his eyes and sought the connection between him and Ricky, sank into the place where he could hopefully find words with his mate. He blinked and found his mind's eye in a place they had run before. He looked around and found the Hale house at his back and when he kept turning, he found Ricky standing with confused look on his face as he searched the place they were in.

"Stiles? Where are we?" the beta asked, his voice quaking in the space that stood between them.

Stiles moved over to him, pulling the other wolf into his arms and pressed a kiss into the side of his neck. He was pleased to find he could hold Ricky here, even though they were here in mind only. "Ricky, I'm so sorry for what happened. Please, you have to stay awake and try to tell me anything about Kate and the other who took you. Do you know anything about where you are?"

Ricky pulled back and touched the side of Stiles' face gently, "Stiles, I can't feel anything. They are keeping a low electrical current active under my skin so I am losing my surroundings; I know there is a man. He is older than Kate and she speaks to him as though he is in charge. I don't know much else. How are you here right now Stiles?"

Stiles flushed, feeling the heat of embarrassment leak out of him, "I don't know, something I am able to do. I can reach out and seek you in this place here. I am sure I could do the same with Derek but I haven't tried. He isn't here only because he is trying to find you."

Ricky nodded then leaned into another embrace before he moved to sit down on a fallen log, Stiles moved to sit next to him as well, "I didn't leave you," the beta said suddenly.

Stiles turned and looked at the profile of his lover's face, leaned in close and pressed another kiss to the side of his head, "I'm not going to lie, I was worried but I'm glad to know you were not fleeing into the night with that she-wolf Malia."

Ricky looked at him in surprise, "You know her name?"

"I met her, she is helping to find you right now," Stiles paused, "Do you know if Ravyn stands captured as well?"

Ricky shook his head, "I don't know. I haven't seen her at all."

Stiles nodded and cuddled close to his side, "I am going to be with you Ricky, just stay strong and stay with us okay?"

"You need to get back?" Ricky asked gently.

"I need to touch base with Derek, are you awake much? Do they ask you questions or torture you?"

Ricky shook his head, "The pain is constant, here I feel very little of it but they will undoubtedly bring me back as they plan and study this thing I have with you. They know that I am important to you and because I was out and alone, they don't understand really what I am to you but they know you will come for me."

Stiles kissed Ricky on the cheek, "We will, it doesn't matter than I am safe or free, I am not okay without you. Please don't forget that and just remember the reign of vengeance that Derek has planned for Kate the second he finds her."

Ricky nodded, "I can't have you harmed for me though. You need to promise not to come for me, Derek will no be swayed but you need to not come for me."

The omega snorted, "I will come for you if I must but for now Derek and Malia are hunting and if we can find a way through Allison to get to you without doing more harm than good then that is what we will do."

Ricky paused then turned quickly to Stiles, grabbing his hands, "Listen, I was reading a while back about hunters. A lot of times, they pass the tradition down from father to son. What if Kate is related to the other man who holds me? What if you could talk to Allison's father?"

"Well you know as well as I do that Allison is not a hunter but most of her family is at least ambivalent about us, even her own mother who fell for and had children with her beta husband."

"But her father was shunned by his father when he was bit and didn't die on the sword, she told us about that. It's possible that it's Allison's grandfather!" Ricky replied excitedly. Stiles smiled at his mate and pressed another kiss to his shoulder.

"I will tell my father, stay strong and try to get me as much information as I can about where you are okay?"

Ricky nodded and Stiles pressed his forehead into the beta's shoulder, wishing he could stay but in a moment when Stiles let go of everything and his eyes opened and he looked into his best friend's gaze. The omega couldn't stop the moisture as it gathered in his eyes, blurring his sight as Scott leaned down and pressed his forehead into Stiles' shoulder and he couldn't stop himself from wrapping arms around Scott and holding on tight.

"You're okay Stiles, you're safe here and we're going to get him back," Scott crooned gently, pressing a hand into the back of Stiles' head, rubbing hands through the omega's hair. Stiles was quickly taken back to the days when his mother did the same thing to him and he sank into the caress, thankful that he hadn't lost his best friend in all the struggle of learning he was special.

"You came?" Stiles whispered, still a little surprised and a whole lot happy.

"Of course we did," Allison whispered from across the room. Stiles looked up to see the beta and Kira as well, in the room with him. He frowned when he realized that Erica, Isaac and Boyd were there as well.

"What are you guys doing here?" he choked out the words, he didn't know to expect this. He didn't understand what happened to all of their summer plans. "You didn't have to come here for this. We are going to get him back."

Allison clicked her tongue a little as Stiles settled back on the bed he was still lying in and she pressed a hand to the side of his face. "Don't be stupid Stiles, you are our friend and the beloved mate of our alpha. We came because we love you and Ricky, we are going to get him back."

Stiles nodded, accepting the kiss she pressed to one of his hands with a smile, and then he started asking her questions about her family. He didn't know what good it might do, if it would help or hinder but they were going to have every scrap of information they could get their hands on then he was going to call his Alpha and they were going to bring some unholy pain down on the heads of whoever dared to keep them apart from Ricky.

The first thing Derek did after kissing Stiles and walking out of Deaton's clinic was calling his mother and letting the whole of the Hale clan know that someone had taken his omega. "Mother, when I find them I am going to kill them."

Talia sighed, "I understand that Derek and no one will be able to stop you because you are reclaiming your beta but you need to think this through. I am sending Peter and Carmen to help, you know your Uncle knows about the lawyer stuff and he doesn't go anywhere without Carmen. I would love to be there but I can't leave your siblings right now. I love you son and you are going to get him back, call me with anything okay?"

After hanging up with his mother, Derek made his way to the campus and immediately met up with the campus cops to see if they were aware of the circumstances. They were, in contact with Sherriff Stilinski as well. They took him to a checkpoint where Malia was sitting with Ravyn; the beta's sister was laying in bed with a cloth over her eyes. Derek moved across the room to her and touched her shoulder. She tossed the cloth aside quickly then sat up, grabbing Derek in a quick hug. "Oh god Derek, I don't know what happened! We were talking and laughing then I was on the ground, Ricky is gone and you need to get him back. When I woke up there was nothing to tell me what direction to go in or nothing. Why would they take him?"

Derek squeezed Ravyn in a quick embrace, "We have to figure out a way to find him. I was hoping you had something." He turned and looked at Malia as well and she pressed a quick finger into the side of her nose. He frowned, wondering what she was attempting to tell him, if Ravyn didn't have trail then how would Malia who had come and gone hours after the scents were faded and gone.

Ravyn moved away from Derek and she stood, wobbling a little from her head injury before she settled and he was left sitting with Malia who just watched the other woman as she walked around and around the room. "Did you find anything Malia?" he asked the she-wolf.

She shook her head, "I scented the people on Ravyn's clothes, and so I have them. A man and a woman, I know that for sure and they have scents attached to them to make me think they are hunters like gun oil. The cops are looking into the cameras around where he was taken to see if we can find out what direction they took him in. Did Stiles figure anything out?"

"Kate Argent took him, we need to figure out where they took him because they are torturing him."

"They're torturing him?" Ravyn shrieked from the other side of the room.

Derek held his hands up in surrender. He wanted to get Ricky back just as much as Ravyn did. He sighed and asked her about the one call he hadn't had a chance to make. "Did you call your parents?"

She nodded, "They are getting in the car to come here as soon as they can but I would suggest that you get him back before they get here because they are pretty damn livid."

Derek sighed, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. "Well I'm glad they know anyway, I should have called them myself and there is no excuse."

Ravyn nodded then flopped down into the nearest chair. He didn't know what he was supposed to do at the moment, besides wait for some news from the cops or Stiles' dad. His phone jingled and he fumbled to answer it, hearing Stiles voice on the other end, "Stiles?"

"Der, I talked to Ricky, he doesn't know where he is but we were talking and we think it has something to do with Kate's family, because hunting is a family business a lot of the time. Will you tell my dad?"

"Yes of course, can we go back to the part where you were talking to Ricky?"

"I found the way to contact him. He's in pain but they are leaving him alone for the most part. He's tired Derek, we need to get him back."

Derek nodded, "I know love. I'll see if we can get anything about Kate."

"I think we might have something for that as well, it should be getting there any minute now."

Derek frowned at the grin he could hear in his omega's voice. "What are you talking about Stiles?"

"Excuse me?" Derek didn't think he'd ever heard such a gravely voice as it shouted across the small space and he looked over, surprised to find a scruffy man in jeans, t-shirt and a leather jacket. He was wearing a gun at his hip and didn't look like he'd shaved in days. He was standing next to a serious woman with short red hair and she wore a pantsuit and her arms were crossed over her stomach.

"Is that him? He's there now! Good, talk to that man, Derek, he can help us get Ricky back!"

Then all Derek could hear was the dial tone on the other side of the phone so he hung up and placed it in his pocket, he was glad Stiles was feeling better, the dark pain from earlier was hard for the Alpha to see. "Who are you?"

"Chris and Victoria Argent, Allison's parents," the man said and Derek's eyebrows rose in question.

"What are you doing here? You have never come anywhere close to this campus since Allison started here," Derek really did try not to sound judgmental but he knew he'd failed especially when the human woman looked over at him and her eyebrows were telling him how much she wanted to poison him with wolfs bane if that was an option at the moment. Chris hadn't said anything either but he was a wolf, supposedly they would understand each other on at least one level.

"We accept the wolves, we understand that Allison wants to be here but we have no use for the community," Victoria stated coldly.

"Except your family is the reason my mate is hurting right now, so you're right about that; you don't need us but I need you."

Victoria took a deep breath and dropped her hands, Chris took a step forward and held out his wrist, palm up towards him. His wife looked like she swallowed a lemon at the move but she didn't stop him. Derek reached out and shook the man's hand, accepting the gesture but didn't feel the need to put the turned wolf in his place as lesser than him.

They sat down and talked about some of the Argent holdings around the campus, as well as who the other person might be, which was Gerard Argent who was Kate and Chris's father. He was cruel and easily one of the most devout believers in the fact that wolves shouldn't even be alive. He turned Chris and Victoria out when Chris had been turned, other wolves had been there to fill the void and give Chris the alpha he would need to make the transition but then he turned into a lone, staying close to Victoria and later, Allison. Brother and sister had stayed close until recent years when she'd learned of his turn and Allison's presenting as a wolf. Then she had also turned her back on her brother.

Derek soaked up all the information he could, receiving whatever he could from Stiles and delivering what he could to the Sheriff. After a few hours of the back and forth with the Argents, Sheriff Stilinski returned in time for Peter and Carmen to arrive and they all sat down to figure out what their plan was. There were two or three places that Gerard and Kate might have taken Ricky, places that would allow them access to the power grid or some where they could hide Ricky without explaining any weird coming and going.

Derek turned to his uncle, "Are you willing to search as well Peter?"

He gave a singular nod, he reached out and took Carmen's hand and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist before he turned and shared a look with the Sherriff, "Do you know where Carmen can stay and remain out of the fight zone? I would have her protected in this."

John nodded, "She can return with me to Deaton's office, it is protected by our good doctor, she will also be with my son and his protectors."

Peter nodded and reached out to press a hand to John's shoulder and Derek watched as both of the men jerked and pulled away from each other. Derek frowned at them, not understanding the sudden shift in the energy of the room, the scents of confusion and … lust sang through the air and Derek ignored it for the sake of sending them on their way and then the teams were decided on to check the areas they believed were good prospect for where Ricky was being held. There were the sewers and there were places under ground at parts of town that weren't as readily accessible to everyone. Derek and Malia were going to one of the sites; Peter and Ravyn were going to another. Stilinski and Chris were going to the third of the top probable places. Victoria had agreed to stay here with the others as people check in.

Derek nodded to each of the people as they left then he walked out as well, knowing that they were bringing Ricky home otherwise he wasn't going home. There would be nothing that could stop Stiles from leaving Deaton's sanctuary if Derek didn't retrieve their beta.

So there was no chance he was going home empty handed.

Ricky shuddered, his muscles aching with the need to be released from the wires digging into his wrists and chest. Thankfully, his feet were barely on the ground, releasing some of the dangerous pressure if he were hanging completely from his wrists. He took a shallow breath, coughing wetly on his exhalation before Kate turned back to him and pressed a hand to his cheek.

"What is the matter Garrick? As soon as Derek and Stiles come for you, I will no longer need you. I will gladly end you then but if I know a little of anything about bonds, he would know if I were to kill you. Your suffering will surely come to an end as soon as they are here."

"Why?" Ricky gasped.

"You know why Garrick, I cannot suffer for mates to live, especially the omegas who will give a new generation of the strongest wolves. Torturing Derek, though was just an added benefit after our tumultuous past."

"Past? Did you attempt to seduce him and he told you no?" Ricky demanded, figuring she was pervy enough for that. She'd touched him more than once, gripping his abs or his thighs. She'd strayed close to his crotch a few times but he'd been able to ignore it for the most part, he didn't want to respond badly and have her do it more so he's swallowed the need to vomit in those moments. He didn't see the other assailant, making him think that Kate was the only one interested in really being a part of this and the other man had only been there as back up.

That wasn't her response now, her gaze narrowed then she pressed her palm into his stomach for a minute before retracting her fist and punched him in the gut. He coughed out and after a second the electrical charge elevated in his body and his back tried to bow against the pain but he couldn't pull against the ropes against his stomach.

"Say it again and see what kind of pain we haven't even introduced you to yet," she whispered against his ear before pressing a kiss to his temple and Ricky tried to jerk away, pulling on the wire restraints and hissed when the blood flowed from the wounds as he jerked against them.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed.

Kate just laughed, touched a dial on the machine attached to Ricky's body and watched as the circuit jumped in intensity again and he gasped in pain as he felt the part of himself that was connected to Stiles start to whither and stretch, like it was going to snap along with the damage the electrical current was doing to his body. He didn't know what else to do except sink away from the physical pain of his body and whisk himself away to that place in his mind where he found Stiles. He opened his eyes to the forest and the sounds of the wildlife, echoed here as if it were real instead of in his mind. He reveled in the sensation of grass beneath his bare feet and the wind caressing his cheeks like he hoped Stiles and Derek would very soon. He didn't want to leave them; he couldn't stop fighting until they were together again. There was nothing he wanted more than to release the fears of the world at large and just stay with his mates and lay unconcerned about the fears born of the past and the possibilities of the future that terrified him.

"Stiles? Can you hear me?" he called out, feeling out with his mind along the edge of the bond between him and the omega. He wished he could also reach out for Derek but he didn't know how. He didn't even really understand what he was doing with Stiles now but the omega had the strongest chance of finding him here.

He kept searching the area, hoping his mate would hear the call of his heart. As he turned there was a shifting sound then Stiles called out, "Ricky, you found your way back!"

The beta turned and smiled as he walked close enough to envelope the omega in his arms quickly. "She's going to kill me as soon as she has you or Derek, she wants to kill us all."

Stiles nodded, "We're aware of that, Derek will not travel alone nor will anyone else. We are getting you back Ricky, is there anything else that you can tell me about where you are being held?"

Ricky thought about the power, the surges is the lighting of the room, he frowned and wondered if it would be at all helpful. "I think that whatever she is using to run electricity through my body is attached to a bigger system, the lights flicker when she ups the machines output. Maybe you can find something from there."

Stiles nodded, pressing a kiss to Ricky's cheek, "Good job Ricky. We are going to get you back, just keep holding on. I am going to stay with you here but I need to return to Derek for a moment. And don't worry about me, I am being guarded."

Then he was gone and Ricky was left to wait once more.


	12. Alpha's Revenge

**Chapter Twelve: Alpha's Revenge**

As soon as he hung up the phone with Stiles, Derek knew where to go. They were definitely hoping to turn this into a trap because Kate had left them wide open by using something external to power the device that was torturing Ricky, it left a trial and with that trail, Stilinski had found out exactly where they needed to go.

Malia followed closely behind him as they run, they were close. Stilinski and Chris were less than five minutes behind them and Peter with Ravyn was not far off either, they would all go in together and attempt to come from multiple directions just in case Kate wasn't down their on her own. Ricky had claimed to not seeing the other assailant since he was first captured but they didn't know what they were running into and if this didn't go the way they wanted then Kate could easily take out Ricky in the process if he was no longer serving the purpose she had for him.

Derek tried to soothe the wolf under his skin; he wanted to rip things apart with his teeth and his claws. The beast in his heart wished to lap at the spilled blood of anyone who dared to bring themselves between the alpha and his mates. He knew all the things he was feeling but to attempt to be of maximum service to his mates, he'd done everything in his power to throw his emotions into neutral even though the thought of Ricky in the hands of someone like Kate Argent made his heart clench and his chest felt like someone was sitting on it. He couldn't run quickly if he felt the panic settling in, he wouldn't be able to direct people to where they were needed if he was busy raging against what had happened to them.

He would fall apart when Ricky was home and safe.

After several minutes of running to the appointed spot, he and Malia stopped to catch their breath and looked around. There was a access tunnel that would lead them down to the source of the shifting power source that Stiles figured might be leading them to Ricky's torture center. He looked around, waiting for the others to show and bounced impatiently as the seconds ticked by and became minutes at a time.

"I think I can smell her, Kate."

Derek twisted and locked gazes with the she-wolf then tilted his head back and took in a deep breath and scented people but he couldn't distinguish anything, he was wound up and worried and it shortchanged his sense of smell. "Can you smell Ricky?"

She shook her head, eyes closed as she tilted her head one way then the other, like she was tasting each current of air through her nostrils, attempting to find that ambrosia-like scent of Derek's beloved beta. "I keep catching snippets of scent and most of them are strangers or not useful but she's there, I can smell the gun oil and the crazy."

Derek snorted, "Crazy has a scent?"

"Oh yeah, her crazy definitely does have a scent. I remember picking it up from Ravyn's clothes, she must have gotten really close to your sister-by-bond because it was all over her."

Derek nodded, once upon a time he'd a slight run in with Kate, he didn't know what or who she was of course and it was after the fire and he was no longer close to Stiles physically if not emotionally, she'd attempted to seduce him and he turned her down but the age difference had not caused her any concern then. Kate was not above groping anything that moved, undoubtedly she was also touching Ricky and there was no way to stop the wolf inside from growling at the prospect of that happening. He figured when he came face to face with her, there wasn't going to be any power in this world to keep him from taking vengeance on her, repayment made in flesh rending from bones and muscles. He looked around again and growled, Malia looked over at him and sighed, "You're not going to wait are you?"

Derek flashed his red eyes at her, "No, Stiles is trusting me to bring Ricky back and I am not going to stop until Kate's in the ground."

Malia snorted, "I'm right behind you then."

Derek paused for a second and stared at the wolf before him, "Why would you help me? You wanted Ricky for yourself."

"Yes and I cannot deny that but you love him and Stiles is interesting and I can't help but want to be around that. I am not going to be malicious or try to steal him away, I can find another to couple with but a pack, that isn't as easy to come by."

Derek shrugged; he didn't have time to wonder if she was serious. Her scent declared Malia wasn't lying so he would take a chance and continue to trust her with his mates. If there was trouble with her later then he would deal with it accordingly. "Let's go then."

Derek stepped down into the access tunnel and moved silently through the confined pathway. It was dark, there wasn't much more except the damp smell of mold and dirty water. He could smell the scent of people, he didn't know if Ricky was among those scents, which was deeply troubling, but he journeyed forward at the same quiet and steady clip. They were here and he was going to see himself to the end of it. It took an indeterminate amount of time before he finally grasped some scents from human and wolf and it took everything in him to wait when he recognized his beloved beta's scent, and it was layered with the smell of fear and pain and the lights were flickering in and out of strength. The alpha paused, Malia right behind him as they listened intently to whatever was happening close by. There was a larger chamber up ahead and someone was pacing and he growled deep in his throat when he recognized Kate's voice, even from several years ago.

Malia reached out and pressed a hand to his wrist and Derek fell silent and still though the red of his eyes reflected back to the she-wolf and she shook her head. The message was clear, Kate didn't know they were there yet and they needed to wait if they could for back up, they didn't want to lose Ricky because he was too hasty.

"Maybe its time to go leave some more bread crumbs, I apparently didn't leave enough last time," Kate was saying. Derek frowned; she didn't know they were on to her. She wasn't getting on the phone with anyone, in fact she sounded like she was coming in their direction. Derek froze, didn't know what to do for a minute until Malia pulled him back and into the shadows. Kate rushed past their position and she paused for a moment and Derek took every scrap of self control not to go after her, especially when she continued on but then he watched the lights flicker again and there was a low moan and Derek didn't stop his need to run down the pathway and there across from him was Ricky. There were metal wires wrapped around his wrists and ankles, there were links of barbed wire across his stomach and there were rivulets of blood leaking from everywhere and he was shuddering from the electrical current still running through him.

"Gari," he whispered and the beta flinched at his voice.

"Derek, don't…" Ricky commanded a second to late when Derek stepped forward and into the pool of water and he was thrown against the opposing wall. He coughed as his brain caught on to what happened, there was an electrical current running through the pool of water on the ground and so Ricky was getting the shock from multiple sources as well as taken away Derek's ability to get him out of there.

The alpha groaned at the streaking pain but it started to fade immediately and he looked over to the beta, tears now shimmering on the edge of his lashes as he watched his mate rise from the ground. Derek looked to Malia, "Find a way to get him out of there!" he commanded and the other wolf nodded as he turned and took off in the direction that Kate had left in. He raced through the tunnels, the sounds of his pursuit loud to his own ears and he hoped she would hear and feel fear, like what he'd been feeling all day and the night before since Ricky left. He could scent where she had gone and he came out of the tunnel and she stood there with her hands outstretched and a gun pointed right at his chest. Derek growled, his claws and teeth elongating at the rage swimming through his veins.

"So you did find me, I figured you would but I was about to leave some more clues because all I really want is you baby."

"Why take Ricky then?" Derek demanded, his teeth causing a slight lisp.

"I couldn't touch Stiles, he is to well protected and I could never touch you without something to contain you. Now I have it, I knew you would never let me keep him."

Derek stared her down, saying nothing because he didn't have anything to say to her. Malia was with Ricky so she had nothing on him, because if she shot him then at least his mates would be alive and out of her hands because there was no way he was going to die without taking her with him.

"You're ready to die then alpha?" she asked, cocking the gun and Derek crouched and didn't wait. She pulled the trigger and he felt the impact as it punched into his upper shoulder but nothing was going to stop him. The blood pooled out from the gunshot wound as he slammed her into the ground and pressed her down and used his other hand to slam the gun out of her grip and heard the juicy snap as her wrist broke in his grip.

Kate screeched out and pushed against his chest, kicking out as much as she could. Derek straddled her chest and pressed down onto her throat with the heel of his hand, as his vision focused and everything else faded besides the desperate need to snuff out the life of the woman who dared to try to destroy his family, then stole his mate and tortured him.

The hunter choked against the pressure he was exerting and her remaining hand pressed back against his shoulder but it wasn't anything against the power of a pissed off alpha.

"Derek!" someone shouted and he pressed down even harder. He didn't recognize the voice through the need to destroy the person who dared to put Ricky in danger. Someone pressed against his shoulder, tugging at him while he focused on the stuttering sound in Kate's heartbeat, the way her breathing slowed and forced through the pressure as her lungs started starving from lack of oxygen. The pressure against the wound in his shoulder presented again and he growled before pushing it away and refocusing, listening to the funny little hiccup as Kate sucked in a partial breath before he pressed down again.

"Derek!" Stiles voice was sudden and close. He pulled away from Kate's imminent death to focus on his omega, who was standing next to his sheriff father. Derek snapped back to reality and fell back on his butt while a couple of the deputies grabbed Kate and dragged her away. Derek growled at the loss of revenge but focused on Stiles.

"What are you doing here?" Derek panted to his omega, the younger wolf was supposed to be far away and protected from this.

"I had to be here, I could feel how lost you were about this. We need to get Ricky out of here and I need you to let go of the rage, she's going to jail but I can't lose you because of her."

Derek shook his head again and looked around, most of the searching party were there and Ricky was on a stretcher, being loaded into an ambulance. Derek struggled to his feet and tried to walk over to the stretcher when the pain in his shoulder radiated outwards and he stumbled. Stiles reached out and steadied him and they walked over together. "You're going to the hospital too big guy, undoubtedly Kate was using something special in that bullet since you aren't healing."

The alpha nodded, "Bullets?"

"My father has the gun and he will bring it with. Let's just get the two of you taken care of, remember how I'm supposed to be the problem mate well clearly that's not the case today."

Derek chuckled, the sound echoed from other people in the clearing and finally Derek was looking down at the face of his beloved mate, seeing the burns and the blood and the pain etched out all over his face. Derek leaned heavily against the stretcher and Stiles still held onto him with one arm as they both reached out and touched Ricky gently on the cheek. The beta's eyes opened and he smiled shyly.

"You found me," he whispered, his voice hoarse from the ill treatment from Kate.

"Of course we did," Stiles said gently. "We are always going to find each other."

"We're always going to be with you Gari," Derek stated, though his breathing was starting to labor and Stiles turned towards him, concern painting his features.

"We're going to the hospital now," Stiles declared at the ambulance loaded Ricky first then Stiles helped Derek in as well. The omega got in last, without even allowing the paramedics to speak to him about not going with his mates. They had the paperwork that sited each other as next of kin. The others were going to follow in vehicles or head home but Derek was back with his mates and nothing else mattered.

So he settled against Stiles' shoulder and closed his eyes to rest for the first time in what felt like days rather than hours.


	13. Evil Bullet

**Chapter Thirteen: Evil Bullet**

After the short ambulance ride, Derek was quickly whisked off into a room to be treated for his gunshot wound while they checked Ricky as well. Stiles was left in the waiting room with his father as well as Scott and Ravyn. Malia was there as well but she wasn't sticking her nose into this moment even though she seemed unwilling to leave them all the same. Stiles wasn't worried about it as long as she kept her grubby little fingers off of Ricky.

"Stiles, sit down," his father requested, not using his 'dad' voice but it was a close second. He shrugged and flopped down next to his dad. Scott was on the other side of him and Ravyn was behind him, immediately rubbing his shoulders gently, trying to get him to calm down.

"We are going to hear something soon, okay? They are going to be just fine," the Sheriff said gently. Stiles nodded and sat back in his uncomfortable chair and his leg started bouncing. No one stopped him and they stayed like that for a while longer before a few more people joined them, Chris and Victoria Argent walked in with Peter and Carmen. Stiles was surprised by the Argents being there, was sure that they would have taken the quickest route away from the dealing of wolves but here they were. He stood and crossed his arms, "You're here?" he asked, curiosity more of a driving force than anything else.

"Just to see you are all together, I could never apologize for Kate's behavior but I did want to let you know that my father was also taken in for conspiracy to kidnap. He will see consequences as well though I don't know if it would be enough to payback what happened to your mates. I want you to know that you are safe, our daughter is sharing a relationship much like yours and it is in her best interest for us to stand neutral, if not at your side so we'll be in touch."

Victoria sighed and crossed her arms, the picture of unhappy wife in the face of what her husband was saying but she was still there. Stiles looked her up and down, "How can I trust you when she has not shown us any reason to believe she will not someday turn her back as well. From what your daughter says, you have never been okay with the fact that your husband was turned and that your daughter was born beta. She is a wolf, you are her mother and yet she steers away from you because Allison knows that you will not stand at her back."

Victoria focused on Stiles, "My husband was turned against his will, I didn't want this life for him or myself, and I had a difficult pregnancy because she was a wolf but I had her anyway even though I worried every time we had sex about the 50/50 chance of her being a wolf. There was no reason for you to pass judgment on me when they are my beliefs and they will not stop me from trying to protect my daughter."

Stiles placed his hand out, not in the normal way of showing submission but just a handshake and spoke, "So you stand with us for the sake of your daughter? You stand by her alpha and mine for the sake of her chance to live in peace and happiness?"

Victoria smiled, the first real expression to light across her face since he met her several hours before and he couldn't help but grin as she placed her palm to his and gave one resolute shake before dropping his hand quickly. "I would do anything, include learn to deal with my past problems to see my daughter safe and happy."

The omega nodded and turned to Derek's uncle, "Peter."

"Stiles, how is my nephew?" he asked in that icy tone he seemed to love using any time he was speaking to Stiles or Ricky, or anyone who wasn't his beloved omega.

"He's still with the doctor, thanks for coming and helping out with getting Ricky back. I know how you feel about him mating with your nephew," Stiles said purposefully as he looked over to Carmen who was speaking to Ravyn. The redheaded omega was pressing a gentle hug to Ricky's sister, comforting her extended family member while Peter looked over as well.

"Stiles," Peter started but the omega just cut him off quickly, he had no desire to hear anything the other alpha had to say because it had never been very nice for Stiles or Ricky. Surprisingly Peter stopped, swallowing convulsively for a minute before Stiles just nodded and walked away without saying anything else. He want back to sitting with his father and best friend to wait out whatever time it would take for the doctor to come and speak to him about his loving alpha and beta.

When the doctor finally came out, Stiles' head was in his father's lap as the older man scrubbed gentle fingers through his hair. Scott's hand was wrapped around Stiles' hand and their contact was keeping him as centered as they could, but because Stiles' mates were out of commission it was harder for him to maintain peace and serenity with the wolf inside. It was a harsh reality to get a sneak peak at, if he truly lost one of his mates Stiles' didn't think he was going to survive it.

Thank god he wouldn't have to see that through right now.

"Mr. Stilinski?" the doctor asked and Stiles scrambled to his feet, his father and Scott standing at his back in support.

"Yes?" he asked anxiously.

"Mr. Oseric is resting well, he is healing normally so he should be released within a couple more hours." The doctor said the sentence with a brittle smile, one of those looks that said there was bad news on the way and he was getting the good news out first, but it was still coming and he didn't know how to tell the person what needed saying.

"And Derek?" he choked out.

"Mr. Hale was shot with some kind of weird gun, the bullet is nowhere to be found in the wound and there was no exit. He is still bleeding and not healing. His veins are turning black around the entry wound but I am concerned that I do not have the information I need to make him better."

Stiles stumbled back a step, into his father and Scott at the mention that Derek wasn't healing. That meant the bullet wasn't metal, silver or otherwise. It was something else, enough that it was hurting his alpha. "Dad?" he demanded, unsure of what to do about this. He just wanted to go to Derek now and find a way to fix him.

"I gave the gun with some of the bullets to the driver of the ambulance, they were supposed to get that to you, we were concerned about this very thing. Where are the bullets?"

The doctor shook his head, "I would have no information of what to do with such a thing, and we don't have very many werewolf trained physicians, as you know they aren't necessary as long as the patient is healing like they are supposed to. I will be sure to have the gun brought to you or whomever you want to treat Mr. Hale, but I can do nothing more for him."

"Where are Derek and Ricky? Are they together? I want to see them!" Stiles demanded in quick and angry succession.

"I can bring you to one or the other but they are not rooming together," the doctor stated and Stiles looked over his shoulder to his father. He was so used to having no voice in the face of doctors and adults, he was an omega and even humans knew what that meant, he answered to an alpha. Right now John Stilinski was his alpha and he didn't know how to step away from it. He still didn't know how to declare outside of the college setting that Ricky and Derek were both his to care for and they all belonged together.

Thankfully his father understood what his son needed, "You need to room them together, Stiles will need to have access to both of them and you need to do this now."

The doctor bristled at the commanding tone of the sheriff, "Excuse me but you don't have the right to bark orders for the sake of this kid and his fetish with polyandry!"

"Excuse me but this is my son, Mr. Hale and Mr. Oseric are his mates and you are going to change the room assignments now because it's going to hurt them more to be separated. I will not allow my sons-by- _bond_ to suffer like that. The next time you think that you have anything else you need to say about my son or his mates, you can just shove it back down your throat. Now get my son to his mates and if you need anything else, I will be here to answer your questions and as soon as Dr. Deaton is here, you will be removed from Mr. Hale's case immediately and do not think for a second that this will not be reported to your supervisor."

Stiles shivered with anxiety, that the doctor was still going to keep him away from Derek and Ricky but then if the fear wafting off the man wasn't enough, Peter stepped forward and got the man's attention, "If you are at all curious, Stiles is within his rights as the mate of Garrick Oseric and Derek Hale to demand what he is asking for. I am Peter Hale on behalf of Derek's family and his legal counsel, so just try and keep him away from his beloved bond mates, you will find out really quick how fast your career will end."

The doctor nodded and scampered away, it only took another three and a half minutes before he was back and leading Stiles and whoever else wanted to come towards the room where Ricky and Derek were each in one of the beds, Stiles stood in the door trying to decide who to go to first then realizing that Ricky was awake the matter was decided. He rushed over and took the beta's outstretched hand and his head nudged into the crook of Ricky's neck and he inhaled the scent of doctors, sickness and Ricky underneath it all. He sobbed into Ricky's chest and words came stuttering out of his mouth without his direction, "You left! I thought you were leaving us and then you were hurt and please don't do that to me, to us, ever again."

Ricky hugged him close, pulling Stiles awkwardly up into the bed and the omega curled into his side as gently as he could, trying not to jar the still healing wolf that held him. "I promise Stiles, I swear."

"Good," Stiles sighed out in his relief, "You're a jerk."

Ricky chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of Stiles' head then they both looked over to where Derek was lying on his bed, still and a shade to white under his tan. Stiles moved off of the bed he was on and pressed a kiss to Ricky's cheek before he moved across to the other bedside and he looked down at their alpha. He pressed his hand into the side of Derek's neck, where it was exposed to those around him, something that would make the wolf howl out in frustration if it was anyone but Stiles touching him at the moment. They needed to get Derek into the hands of someone who knew wolves, Stiles hoped Deaton would get there soon to take over his care. Stiles looked down at his wounded shoulder, only to see the wrapping around the arm but there was the hint of dark veins peeking out from the edges of the bandages and he realized that whatever it was, the poison was spreading and it was going to get to his heart sooner rather than later.

Stiles leaned down and pressed a kiss to Derek's forehead before he turned back to the door where his father and Peter were standing, as well as Carmen and Scott. "We need Deaton here as soon as possible. Dad, please get the bullets to him the second he's through the door because I don't know what she did to him but I can't lose Derek."

"We can't," Ricky said from the bed and Stiles nodded to his beta.

"We'll get on it Stiles, we aren't going to lose Derek because of this," the Sheriff said and he walked out, taking most of the others with him. Scott didn't leave, taking up position outside the door. Stiles just shrugged and figured it would be best to have someone on their door since they all needed sleep and Derek needed them at their peak for a little while longer.

Stiles looked back and forth between the beds, then in a rare feat of strength, he pulled the beds together and then climbed up next to Derek and held a hand out for Ricky's hand as well.

"Do you wanna go find Derek? Like I found you?" Stiles asked gently, he didn't know if he could do it but it was something to do and their alpha deserved to know that he wasn't doing this alone.

Ricky nodded, Stiles could feel his movement through their bodies and he smiled, he sank into himself and searched first for Ricky so they could travel to Derek together. He didn't know if that would make it easier or more difficult but he was willing to try it this way first.

They were going to remind Derek what he was fighting for and maybe, just maybe Stiles could help Derek if he knew more about what was happening to his beautiful and strong alpha. He trusted Deaton and he trusted in the three of them to find their way and keep fighting until they were all safe and home once again and he would do his part in that.

Deaton arrived about thirty minutes after he was called in and he gladly took the bullets away from the M.D. and gestured for the man to leave his presence, but first to give him some place to work. The doctor did so grudgingly; it was hard to deny Peter Hale and Alan Deaton anything, especially added to the clout of Sheriff John Stilinski and the rest of the pack. He figured he was lucky that Talia Hale wasn't also breathing down his neck.

John watched as Deaton settled into the small lab he was admitted to for his work, he looked around with a sigh as if this was not enough or very disappointing but John didn't really care about the facilities unless they weren't going to help Derek.

"What's the plan Doc?" he asked after a few minutes of everyone watching the focused man move around grabbing beakers and various accouterments that he thought he might need.

"I will use the provided bullets to make something of an antidote, it will take some time so anything you or the other pack-mates can do to keep Derek fighting is going to be helpful but for now I need the room. If Scott can stay with me and assist then I can send him back and forth to my office or home in case I have need of anything but the rest of you will only distract me with your concern. I will save him but it will take a little time."

John nodded and ushered everyone back out the door, many of them should be sent on their way but it was going to be an impossible sell with Stiles, Derek and Ricky all here. Many of them were a part of the boys' pack and Ravyn and Malia seemed unwilling to be parted from things until everything was sorted. So he would work them in shifts, send some of them to sit with the trio at a time and kicking the rest of them out when he could so they could sleep or share intel with any other interested party who wasn't here.

He started with Peter and Carmen as well as himself in the room and told the rest to go home or back to Derek's apartment but they just mulishly sat down in the waiting area and he shrugged, figuring he would keep trying to send them away and see when they were willing to scamper off. Peter and Carmen shared a chair and John settled into one of the other chairs closer to the beds. Stiles was pressed up against Derek's side and Ricky was holding Stiles' other hand. They had shoved the beds together, thankfully there had been nothing hanging between them because John doubted that his son would have let that deter him.

He tried to keep his chair as far away from Peter and Carmen as he could because he was having a hard time being in the alpha's presence. It had nothing to do with being cowed by the powerful man; Peter Hale was smart and strong, handsome and most importantly—taken. He had no right or reason to be so affected by the other wolf but the day before he couldn't deny the spark of something he hadn't felt since Claudia passed away. He'd never wanted anyone or anything since, except for Claudia to return to him somehow but that was impossible so he'd always been happy with being Stiles' dad and now watching their son become the grown up that would do amazing things like give the omegas a chance at life again. Claudia would have given anything to know a world like Stiles was fighting for at them moment.

So he stayed as far away from Peter as he could, desperate to keep up appearances, ones that would be torn apart if he dared to like Peter Hale, even a little.

"Why so serious Sherriff?" Peter asked, smirking tone apparent to John. He rolled his eyes and shook off the feelings he was attempting to hide, though not doing a very good job if the other wolf was asking him about it. He shrugged, hoping the alpha would forget his queries if John stayed silent. He stayed focused on Stiles, Derek and Ricky for a few minutes then turned and looked at Peter who was staring right back at him with Carmen tucked against his throat and not even paying attention to the world around her.

"Why does Stiles think you don't like him?" John asked gently though he was just as frustrated with the man as he was curious.

"Before you go off on a tangent about your son, I have nothing against the feisty little omega, I have in the past had a lot against the institution of mating and the bond. I didn't want such a thing in my life, I couldn't stand that my nephew found himself shackled like my sister was, I had hoped he would be spared from it. I believed when he turned down others in the past that there was nothing for him and he was to be spared but what I didn't know was that he was already promised in his heart to Stiles. Ricky was a surprise and not one I had a problem with, nothing against the beta, again just against the pain and sorrow as well as the instincts holding him hostage by two mates instead of one."

"And yet?" John asked motioning to Carmen who was watching them both calmly.

"And yet I was played for a fool, I have felt the bond and loved Carmen more than life and I don't know what I would do without her. I don't have anything more that I want, except maybe what my nephew has found in Ricky."

John frowned, so did Carmen for that matter, like she didn't understand what he was saying. "I don't understand and Carmen doesn't either."

"I mean, I have seen the bond between the three of them and the way Ricky has helped Derek to create a pack and a become the strong alpha that he's destined to be. I need a strong beta, someone I can trust to stand at my back and next to Carmen as well. Ricky has done that for Derek and Stiles."

"Because he is their mate," John responded.

"Maybe so, maybe I could have a beta that isn't our mate and have the same strong bond of pack instead of mate."

John nodded and he watched as Carmen leaned in and pressed a kiss and whispered words to her alpha and John hurried to focus on the sound of the beeping machines in the room because he didn't need to be in the middle of their business, they were happy together and they didn't even live in Beacon Hills, Peter wasn't in the market for a sheriff in his pack.

They stayed quiet for a while and the next shift started and John walked out and away from the confusing couple only to find the waiting room even more full of people. The next ready to stand at the bedside was Talia Hale and Ricky's parents. John directed them to the room and let them know he would be back in a few hours. Then he rushed out of the hospital before the weirdness between him and the other Hale could cause him to pause again.

Stiles didn't know what was happening outside his body, he only cared about the path he walked into the mind of his beta and took Ricky's hand. They walked along the forest path and Stiles reached out in his mind and found the golden thread between himself and Derek. He pressed his palm into the thread and allowed it to pull him along to their destination and when they shifted from one mind to the next, carrying Ricky along for the omega's ride, they found themselves strangely enough in the living room of the Stilinski house. Stiles smiled as he thought about all the times he must have spent here with Derek before his memory went shoddy. There was no other reason for this to be Derek's safe space except for all the times they were here together. Derek was sitting on the couch, curled in on himself and shaking a little from some internal effort he was expending.

"Derek?" Stiles questioned and the alpha looked up suddenly. There were remnants of tears in his eyes and he leapt towards them and pulled both beta and omega into a tight embrace.

"I thought I was lost to you both, I don't remember anything after the hospital, I don't even know how I got here."

Stiles frowned and pulled away, pressing a kiss into Derek's chest, "Derek, you haven't left the hospital, something about the bullet is still inside you, poisoning you slowly. Deaton is working on a cure but we are here with you until your better."

Derek frowned in return and leaned into Ricky's touch gently, taking comfort in it. "How are we here?"

"This is how I talked to Ricky when he was taken, I used the bond to find you and I brought Ricky because we are going to keep reminding you what you are fighting for."

Derek smiled, "How you going to do that?"

Stiles smirked and moved a little closer and pressed a quick kiss to Derek's mouth then shifted a little and kissed Ricky as well, he moved back just enough to speak, "I think we can think of something to occupy ourselves while we wait."

Derek snorted and then lifted Stiles from the floor and the omega wrapped his legs around Derek and they proceed to find themselves up in Stiles' bedroom and did exactly that. There was no hurry, no need for lube because here in their minds there was no pain, only the echo of pleasure. Derek didn't feel the pain from the poison and they collapsed together in a sated heap a short time later only to laugh and start over minutes later. No need for recovery time in their minds. Stiles knew that they weren't really experiencing sex and mating like they would in their physical bodies but somehow this was better in some small way. It wasn't about breeding or scratching an itch, it was nothing but the beautiful bond they shared between them and nothing could mar that in this space in Derek's mind.

It was minutes or hours later and they were just scrunched up together on Stiles' bed when Ricky asked, "Why do you come here Der? We have all been together in other places."

Derek shrugged, "To be fair, I didn't actively pick this place. I just ended up here, and I think it was maybe because this was the birth of Stiles and I, which led to the three of us being together. There was a time when Stiles and I were kids together that it was all pretty and perfect in the eyes of children, that Stiles and I would be together and it would be magical and pretty, we would have children and there would be nothing stopping us. But then the fire and the death of Stiles' mother threw all that away for both of us in different ways. This is better, the three of us, but there was a simplicity to those fantasies and my brain hid there."

"We are complicated aren't we?" Ricky asked with a sigh.

Derek cuddled Ricky closer and pressed a kiss to the side of the beta's head, "Maybe so but only in the best kind of way. I love you so much Ricky and we weren't ever going to be okay without you."

Stiles pressed in close to Derek's chest and pressed one of his hands to the side of Ricky's face and they fell silent. There was nothing to be said here, everything they were to each other was laid bare in the presence of the bond and it wasn't going anywhere. Not as long as Stiles had something to say about it.


	14. The Antidote

**Chapter Fourteen: The Antidote**

There was no real way of knowing how much time past while they sat together inside Derek's mind, within the bond. Stiles was just as bouncy as ever and Ricky was poking around the little world they built for themselves here. Stiles pulled away every once in a while to find out what was happening and there were times when Stiles and Ricky were forced to pull apart and wake up but they immediately wandered back to Derek as soon as they were allowed.

He could tell the passage of pain though, the longer they stayed here, and the pain was heavier and started to weigh down on his limbs. He couldn't stand as easily as he should have. He knew what it meant, the substance from the bullet, whatever it was, was making its way closer to his heart and when it got there, it was going to be a show stopper. They weren't going to be able to rectify the problem.

"You have to wake up," Derek finally whispered to his mates. Stiles and Ricky both snapped around from where they were laying with their heads on Derek's shoulders to stare at him.

"What?" they both exclaimed.

"I am getting sicker and they need to get a move on, I am running out of time and I won't have something happen to you two because you get stuck here with me and can't find your way back. Stiles, don't argue," he started when Stiles tried to jump in, "You don't know what your doing, still learning and I won't let you be hurt by this."

Stiles frowned at Derek but the alpha just nodded to them and pressed a kiss to Stiles' head then Ricky's forehead and urged them to stand before he nodded once more and watched as they faded away.

He resettled on the couch where they had been cuddling together and closed his eyes, hoping that someone was working on waking him up because he didn't want to be done with Stiles and Ricky, he wanted a lot longer than one year with them but it was no longer in his hands, it was in Deaton's hands.

Stiles snapped upright, crying out as Ricky did the same. Derek was clearly stronger than he thought he was, he'd snapped both omega and beta out of his mind and away from the bond. "Why would he do that?" Stiles demanded as he looked back at Derek's physical body, seeing the black veins over his shoulder and all down his arm. Ricky sat up and pulled Stiles into his arms from where he was.

"He didn't want us trapped or hurt, Derek did what he had to do to protect us," Ricky responded and Stiles sank into the caress of the beta's hand down his hair and neck.

"I just don't want him to be alone," Stiles whimpered the words into Ricky's neck.

"I know love, we're still with him here," Ricky responded gently.

"You're awake?" Ravyn called as she walked into the room and rushed over to the bed and hugged them both tightly.

"Yeah, we've been coming in and out," Ricky responded, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to his sister's head. Stiles loosened his hold on Ricky, flipped back over and pressed himself to Derek's side. He snuggled into the alpha, desperate to climb back into the bond but he knew Derek was cutting them off and he would have to wait for Deaton to come through for them.

With that thought, he jumped out of the bed and headed out the door, taking in a huge breath and searching the scents of disinfectants and sick people until he sensed the good doctor. He followed the smell out into another hall then down to a door, throwing it open as he heard Ricky shout from behind him and saw Deaton and Scott working over a bowl with various beakers and tools all around them.

"Doc, Derek is running out of time, do you have something?" he demanded.

Ricky slammed into his back, shoving them both another foot into the room before they righted and Deaton looked over as he ground something into dust in the bowl he was using. "We have it here boys, I was going to be coming to you in a couple of minutes. I don't want to do this wrong. Kate used wolfs bane and I had to use the right amount to counter the effects. Do you need to be stopped from reentering Derek's room or are you going to behave yourself and let me do what I need to?"

"Behave," Stiles said with a nod.

"Please, help him," Ricky said at the same time.

After a few more things, Deaton had a syringe full of liquid, slightly cloudy with whatever was inside of it and the bowl with the powder as well. Scott and Deaton walked out of the lab and towards Derek's room with the omega and beta hot on their heels. They watched from the door, Ravyn stood next to them as well and out of seemingly nowhere came Stiles' dad, Peter and Carmen as well as many of their pack-mates. Stiles paid no attention to any of them, didn't even acknowledge when his father placed a hand on Stiles' shoulder and he was left to wonder momentarily if the Sherriff planned to restrain him if anything happened.

Stiles didn't think his father was strong enough to keep him from his mate if anything happened to Derek but he had to stand back and trust Deaton right now.

The doctor leaned over Derek, grabbing a pinch of the powder between his fingers, baring the bullet wound to his gaze for a second before he pressed the powder into the wound, then without a second to breath, pressed the syringe down into Derek's chest and depressed the liquid into their alpha. Stiles whimpered as Derek's body jerked from whatever was being added to the pain from the original bullet wound. They watched in anxious anticipation as the wound sizzled and hissed.

"What did you do?" Stiles growled as Derek's body started to shudder.

"Be still Stiles!" Deaton demanded and the omega pressed closer to his father and his beta, who were holding his hands and keeping him close.

Derek's shudders finally died down after a few minutes and they continued to watch with baited breath as the black veins started to recede and Stiles slumped into Ricky's side as the older wolf breathed a sigh and he fell still. "Is he okay?" Ricky asked softly, hoping not to get them kicked out because he was willing to ask.

"He's going to be just fine, Derek will need several more hours maybe another day to heal from the sickness but this will make him well again. Just give him time and you will all be going home very soon."

Stiles jerked forward and hugged Deaton from behind, his weak sobs hidden in the folds of his doctor's coat. Ricky was not far behind to envelope the doctor in the middle of the hug and then everyone was piling on top. Stiles laughed hysterically, trying to cut off the sound before it turned into something he couldn't stop but it was hard in the face of not knowing how long they would have with Derek, to him getting better in a day or two. Being a werewolf had never made Stiles feel invincible because he wasn't, omegas were stronger than humans but not by much. The strength of his kind is in his ability to procreate, not be physically capable but he had more than once considered Derek to be invincible, untouchable and to have such a visceral twisting of fantasy into truth was painful at the very least. There were things that could tear them apart, people that would do anything to destroy what they were trying to accomplish and it was never just going to be Stiles on the line, Ricky and Derek would be at risk too as long as they stood by him.

Did it change his mind about what he should be doing with this life? No, he still wanted to do anything and everything to give omegas a fighting chance at living in the open but it did make him rethink some of his methods. There was no getting around the people here knowing who they were, but maybe they could contain the spread of information, maybe he was thinking of this thing all wrong. If he could do anything to keep Derek and Ricky safe, he was willing to find another way but first he had to know that their alpha was going to recover from this then he would seek an answer with his mates, not alone. He didn't have to be alone ever again, neither did Ricky or Derek, and he would just have to remind them all of that once more.

"Stiles, Ricky?" Derek's gravely voice reached out and sucker punched Stiles in the chest and he couldn't stop the forward momentum that took him right to the side of the bed, soon followed by Ricky and they stood there looking down at their alpha.

"We're all here Derek, right here with you."

"Forever?" Derek asked sappily.

Stiles smiled and looked over at Ricky, seeing the moisture clinging to the edges of the beta's eyelids before he answer for them both, "Always Der, just settle back and get better okay? So we can get out of this hospital and back to life."

Derek nodded and his eyes shuttered closed, his breathing sounding normal instead of shallow for the first time in hours since the bullet. It was amazing to think how little time had passed since Derek had been shot or since Ricky had been taken, but every second had felt like an hour to the omega, desperately clinging to the hope and security offered to him by his mates.

It was time for him to offer some in return.


	15. A Choice is Given

**Chapter Fifteen: A Choice is Given**

Derek eased into his bed at home for the first time in almost a week. The recovery from the bullet had taken much longer than anyone had planned on. Stiles and Ricky had left the hospital to turn in assignments and go to class but they always returned to the clinic as soon as possible. The beta and omega stayed close to each other as much as they could but Malia and Ravyn stayed with them as well just to be sure. No one was sure where Gerard Argent was but the cops were after him for kidnapping and anything else Stilinski could pin on him, the Argent family was well known as a hunting family but they were illusive.

The alpha watched as his two mates fussed all around him. Stiles walked back out to the living room and he frowned and turned to Ricky, "What's up?" he asked.

The beta shrugged, sitting down on the side of the bed, leaning close enough to kiss Derek on the cheek. Derek pressed his hand into the side of Ricky's neck and held him close for another kiss. He sank into Ricky's mouth, the warm wet taste of his lover sinking into Derek's senses and he wished he had enough energy to do something about any of it. He couldn't believe that the recovery had been so slow but Deaton stated it was because the poison had gotten dangerously close to his heart so he was suffering the side effects.

He pulled back from the kiss when Stiles walked back into their bedroom with a folder in his hand; grinning as he spoke, "Don't stop on my account."

They had been at this relationship for almost a year now and every now and then Derek was still amazed that there was never jealousy between the three of them, the only moment of jealous in their relationship had been because of Malia and that had skidded away in the truth of the she-wolf accepting that Ricky was with Derek and Stiles and the other side of course was that they were going to make sure that Ricky never felt like he was alone.

Derek smiled crookedly as he answered, "Sadly I don't have the energy for anything at the moment."

"I think you can handle a kiss at least," Stiles responded with a smile, dropping the file on the bed as he climbed across the mattress to press himself over Derek's lap and pressed his mouth to Derek's in a fervent kiss that the alpha had no chance of restraining. He placed one of his hands to Stiles' lower back and brought him in as close as he could. He felt when Stiles' other hand grappled to bring Ricky closer and they all pressed together in a hug and another kiss before Derek leaned back against the pillows with a sigh and waited for whatever Stiles was apparently bursting at the seams to get out.

"What's going on Stiles?" Ricky finally asked.

Stiles bounced over to the other side of the bed, sitting down and grabbing the folder. He placed it on Derek's lap and he frowned as he opened it to the first page and his frown deepened. The information in front of him was the cost of rooming, apartments and the shift of tuition from Beacon Hills College to another college nearby. It was still in state but it wasn't thirty minutes from his father and the doctor and everything. Ricky was looking over his shoulder and they both looked up at the omega who was bouncing where he sat, picking at his cuticles while they read the information.

"Stiles? What is this? You can't leave us here!" Ricky exclaimed, fear soaking the room from both of their scents and thankfully Stiles shook his head.

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous, the president couldn't make me leave you two. I love you and that's never ever going to change. This is an offer for all of us, or we could find one equally as good for all of us."

"Why do you want to leave BHC?" Derek asked finally.

"I don't, not really but I wanted to ask you two if we should leave this campus and find somewhere to be a little more anonymous. We would tell our teachers and the administration because of Heats but the rest of it, we could keep quiet. No one would need to know we were together and no one would know I was an omega. I would keep you safe, hell it would keep me safe."

Derek frowned, sharing a concerned look with Ricky before he looked down again. Stiles had found everything they would need to know to make the transition with little effort, it was close enough that Derek and Ricky could stay here or keep jobs and positions or they could transition to another shop and another program and Stiles would go back into the dark. He would be hidden again, he would be miserable if they couldn't be open with one another. They had fought so much this year for the opportunity to be together in the open because Stiles wanted it and he didn't want to spend his life in the shadows like he'd done for so long already. Derek knew what it cost Stiles to even offer this, and it wasn't some passing idea. Stiles was willing to hide to protect his lovers and Derek could appreciate the sentiment and the sacrifice but he would hate to see Stiles go backwards.

"What do you think Ricky?" Derek asked instead of speaking right away.

Ricky leaned forward and pressed a hand into Stiles' hands and pulled him closer so he was snuggled between them on the bed. He sighed happily and Derek smiled, pressing a kiss to the side of his head while they waited for Ricky to speak.

"You should have every right to stay here and be who you are Stiles, we all do. I don't think that what happened is a good enough reason to find ourselves in the dark again, I don't want you in the shadows over this, especially if its something you are doing for me or Derek. You deserve to be in the light Stiles, we all do."

Derek smiled, "I couldn't have said it any better myself."

Stiles curled even closer and sighed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"Okay, flip to the last page of the paperwork."

Derek did and held it out where they could all see it, there was a new article. The heading was pretty telling, he didn't think he had to read everything it had to say because it read: 'OT3 – And Get Over It!'. Derek laughed for a second before he asked, "OT3? What does that even mean?"

"One True Trio, that's us. I wanted to write about what we have together, that its not something that we should have to hide. We're not the only ones and we have a real bond and I don't want to hide it in any way shape or form. Its not really as fact focused as most of my pieces to Braeden is publishing it as a memoir kind of thing, if we're not going to hide then this is my other option for you. I don't want there to ever be any guessing, we might get more attention then we want for a little while but then again it will fade in the face of them knowing all the facts. It's up to you if we publish it. I didn't name us as the trio but I doubt the campus will have a hard time figuring it out. I talked about how we center each other, how we bring out the best in each other and I don't know how good it is without all the facts that I normally depend on but I hope you like it."

Derek didn't need to read it right now; he knew it was going to be beautiful and poignant. For now he tilted Stiles head back a little and kissed him gently, slipping his tongue into the seam of the omega's mouth and deepened the touch as he reached out and pulled Ricky in close and he pulled back after a moment and let the beta kiss their omega as well.

"We're going to stay here, I am going to graduate next year, and Ricky is going to soon after. This is where you wanted to make your stand, this is where Deaton is and your father, and the rest of it is just background noise."

"Me last huh?" Stiles asked with a snicker.

"You can do whatever you want, love, and at whatever pace you set for yourself," Ricky said gently as he rubbed a hand up and down Stiles' arm though it didn't feel like Stiles was taking anything personally but sometimes the omega gets concerned about how well he was doing in school. Derek settled, holding the paperwork in his other hand gently so he would have a chance to read it later but right now it was more important to hold his mates and be with them. Stiles sighed, comfortable and happy and Derek was glad to just know his mates were happy here.

"Are you guys sure? I don't want anything to happen to you two."

"Are we sure we want you to be yourself and happy? Are we sure you should be Stiles Stilinski, out and proud about who you are and who we are together?" Ricky asked gently.

"Yes, we're sure," Derek responded before Stiles had a chance to say anything at all. They hugged him tightly and stayed where they were. They didn't need words all the time, not even Stiles. His scent was content and there was a level of surprise and excitement to his scent, he'd been more than ready to give up everything so they could have some anonymity, Stiles had been willing and ready to make the jump for them but they didn't have to and he was more than a little relieved.

Derek pressed another kiss to the omega's temple and he felt as Stiles' face stretched into a smile against his lips. Stiles pressed into the touch a little then they went back to just sitting still.

Then after about two minutes of that, Stiles grinned and turned to Ricky and asked, "So, you wanna go on a date?" he asked.

Ricky blinked at him in confusion at the sudden shift in the conversation while Derek laughed. He'd hoped they could do something for Ricky, that they could learn to be intentional with each other more often because being bonded did not make everything easy or perfect. Being mates didn't mean that they shouldn't always be courting each other.

"Yes?" Ricky asked then chuckled at Stiles look of utter annoyance at his waffling question, "Yes, I would love to go on a date with you both."

"Great!" Stiles said happily and they went back to just sitting together. Stiles sighed after a few minutes and Derek couldn't help the grin on his face, the omega wasn't capable of sitting still and quiet when he had things to say. "Are you guys really sure? I got all ready to make this amazing sacrifice for you and you didn't go for it."

"Did you want to go?" Derek asked gently, figuring the sooner they answer all these questions, the better for the omega. He would just think about it over and over until it made him crazy.

"No I didn't but I also know that sometimes for the good of all of us, there have to be sacrifices. I looked into this other campus because I thought maybe the best way to protect ourselves and each other would be to go somewhere that people wouldn't know about me, about us."

"You don't want to live in the dark Stiles, everything you have done so far has been about not only living in the open but also offering the possibility to others like you," Ricky said and Derek watched as the beta pressed a kiss on the edge of Stiles' bony shoulder. The omega's scent lifted in arousal but settled quickly since sex wasn't on the table at the moment and the omega didn't need it at the moment. If he had, it would have been easy enough for Derek to lay there and watch his mates achieve an orgasm together but they didn't need that right now, they need clarity and communication. "It's important that you be in the light, that we don't have to hide because what we are discovering is that you are not unique, but we are one of the first in a while to not only honor that but also to speak out for ourselves and each other. That's more important than the possible trouble it will cause us in the short term."

Stiles nodded and Derek leaned in enough to press a kiss to the side of his neck. He wanted to kiss Ricky too but he didn't think he had the strength to do anything about it at the moment so he would just wait. "Do you have any other concerns about our choice Stiles?" he asked.

The omega shook his head, "I am going to trust that you guys know what you want and we are going to stay here. So date? Where should we go?"

Derek and Ricky burst into chuckles again at the ridiculous leap in conversation again. They settled quickly and started talking about where they might like to go, there were a few romantic dinner locations that they could go to, it would be very public and they did not hide away from that idea, not married to it either so Derek listened as Ricky and Stiles argued the merits of the food, the public eye involved and so on before they decided on a nice steak restaurant and then settled down to rest for a while. It was still early but Derek was exhausted from getting himself from the hospital to here. He was grateful after everything that Stiles and Ricky were willing to nap with him as well.

He felt centered and happy for the first time since Ricky was taken; his wolf settled inside and left the man in the moment.


	16. OT3 Forever

**Chapter Sixteen: OT3 Forever**

Stiles and Derek were taking Ricky out to lunch when the article was released. They enjoyed the meal and went to a movie while the college was getting to know what it was liked for the three to them to have found each other and learning about what they were to each other. Derek and Ricky both read the article, amazed again at Stiles' ability to share with the world what it was like to have the beta and alpha in his life, to be bonded to them. He shared what it was like to have to hide in the shadows and how he didn't believe that the omegas should have to do that anymore. They marveled at the omegas power over the written word, that in less than two thousand words, he'd described who and what they were to each other and how they were real and deserved to be as honest about it with the world as any other relationship out there.

Derek and Stiles had planned the date to be around the same time, so they turned off their cell phones and sat through a meal of pizza and salad, with sodas. They ignored the looks and the whispers that were caused by their close contact with each other and the kisses pressed to cheeks and chins.

"So will you tell us about what happened when you walked out with your sister?" Stiles asked Ricky gently and pressed one of the beta's hands between his. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the side of Ricky's hand.

Ricky sighed, figuring this was not a conversation that he could ignore. He tightened his hand around Stiles, reached out and took one of Derek's hands as well. "I'm a beta and I knew that for most of my whole life, that I wasn't going to ever have the bond. I knew that and I was petrified of having the desire to have something that I knew I wouldn't have and shouldn't want. I didn't talk about it very much since we got together but I have had more than a few relationships, but they have never made it past a year. I could have really loved my partner but it didn't seem to matter, we always imploded before the year mark and there was this moment with Malia that I wondered what it would be like to be in a relationship where I could have children or not be the constant extra, so to speak. I entertained a moment with her and it hurt me that I could do that to the two of you. I don't want anyone to take the place of what we have, there is never going to be anyone else for me but you two but I didn't know another way. I have never had a relationship that I didn't destroy with my inability to commit because I was so desperate for the bond. I know none of this really makes sense and I know it doesn't make up for the moments when I turned my back on us, even for a second and I can never be sorry enough for that but I know I love you both so much."

Derek nodded but said nothing.

Stiles leaned forward to pop a quick kiss on the side of Ricky's face, "I don't think its crazy for you to feel the way you do, I am glad that you weren't leaving us, that it was never your intention to walk away because we can't be complete without you. I don't know about the kid thing but I want it to be clear that there is no one I would have share in the raising our children than you and Derek. I want my children with you Ricky, not just Derek."

Ricky smiled a little but it was kind of sad anyway, "I know what your saying Stiles, there are parts of this that are a little more difficult to swallow than others. Give me the time I need to mourn some of it, There is truth to the fact that if I fell in love with a human woman, I would be able to have children with her, in this relationship there is one truth that determines that part of us, Derek will always be the father or our children. Please just give me the time I need to deal with that. I love you both and I can't wait to be the parent of our children but there are parts that are difficult for me still."

Stiles nodded, "I understand, we'll just give you the time you need for that. It's not like we are going to be trying for kids anytime soon. I mean really, I am going to be a sophomore," he laughed and Ricky couldn't help but smile in response to Stiles comment.

"Do you want to look into options, for you to have kids with us?" Derek asked and Stiles looked over at the alpha in surprise, he didn't know if there were options but if they had possibilities then he was willing to see what was available if it meant that Ricky would not feel a part from instead of a part of the couple in this important way.

Ricky smiled at them both, "You would do that?" he asked, awe and shuddering excitement in his tone.

"Of course babe," Stiles said, nodding enthusiastically at the idea then kissed Ricky's hand again, leaning over to kiss Derek's cheek for thinking of it. Then he frowned, "But in another two or five years."

Ricky and Derek laughed and they dropped the sensitive subject, Stiles hoped that with their first anniversary around the corner then some of Ricky's past trouble would slip away but Stiles made the promise to himself that he would keep an eye on Ricky and make sure they were there for him if they needed to be.

They continued their lunch, packing up their leftovers and heading back to the apartment. There, they dropped off everything and decided to take a walk; away from the campus since they knew the article would be circulating the campus at the moment. Stiles knew they would have to pick up their phones, turn on their computers and accept whatever comments and backlash might be coming because of the article but he was surprisingly not worried. They were a couple weeks out from the summer semester being over, then they were going to go back to the Hale house, settle in together for a couple of weeks before returning to the campus again. Derek should be finished by the end of the second semester if all goes well, possibly even the first semester depending on what he needed which he would be speaking to his counselor about at the beginning of the fall semester. Ricky had another two to three years depending on how quickly he could get through his requisites. Stiles wondered how long he would take, what he would do to stay caught up to his partners. He would just have to keep working at all the things he wanted to see done.

The article was just one portion of that.

After they walked for a while, the trio decided to see what was being said about the article. Stiles changed the title of the piece to simply 'OT3 – One True Trio' at the request of Derek who figured they shouldn't start the article contentiously. Stiles had shrugged and agreed to the change since he didn't want to start any more fights if they could get by without.

Stiles turned on the computer and went to the school web page, linking the newsletter and opening the first page and there was his article. It was anonymous though that wouldn't stop anyone from figuring out who he was talking about and who the author was, it had been an attempt to honor not only his relationship with Derek and Ricky but also the one shared by Isaac and his mates as well as all those they might find, as well as the sadly never recognized relationship between Cordelia, Talia and Arthur.

He scanned over the article first:

 **OT3 – One True Trio**

 **Omega… that is a word that we stopped hearing for a while and this campus has heard more than once in the recent year. There have been a lot of rumors about the one who lives here on campus and this is an opportunity to set the record straight.**

 **Omegas are not to be feared or controlled, they are wolves too and they deserve to live free and in the light. This omega has been claimed by his loving alpha but this wolf is different. He is also bonded to a beta and they all share the mating marks of the Claim. They share a loving relationship based on equality in the bond and this has given each of them the support they need to be the best wolf they can be.**

 **I know it sounds hokey and ridiculous but to the omega, all he'd ever wanted was to be fear of the idea that he must be a simpering little house omega. That he would be allowed the freedom of an education and equal right to share his opinion.**

 **The beta has learned the strength from being supportive to his alpha and loving and tender with his omega, he has gained family and the bond, which he never thought he would have and has been blessed with.**

 **And the alpha has found a place to be courageous and supported when he doesn't know anything but the wolf and the instincts that drive us all.**

 **In the last year since they bonded they have faced oppression and anger, judgment and fear in the face of an omega being out in the open. He has been kidnapped, almost raped and they have been sought out by hunters and almost killed over the holidays and they are not done yet.**

 **And that, in this writer's opinion, is the most important part in all this. He is not going away, they are not going to disappear no matter who hard the hunters and the haters try.**

 **He will not give up the mates he loves and he will not recede into the darkness.**

 **Its time to stop asking him to.**

There was more to the article, a little about what they'd learned about the Magi-Omega, that there was a precedent for it, in the history books as well as in friends who were willing to share what they had so Stiles and his men could know that they weren't alone. He was more interested in the comments section and what he found was better than he'd hoped. There were many who said all the horrible things about omegas and what they should do with him. There were many who didn't believe that Ricky's bond was real but there were also many who were rooting for them, others that were glad they were brave enough to come out into the light, giving other omegas the option to come out as well.

Stiles looked over to Derek and Stiles, smiled infectiously at them who easily returned the grins. "Wow, we have followers," he exclaimed.

"Well the omega mentioned in the article does anyway," Ricky returned with a wink.

Stiles snorted, "They know who we are, and we went out on a date today and slapped them in the face with it."

"Come on, it wasn't like we were having sex on the table or anything," Derek said with a chuckle. Stiles knew the alpha was pleased, could scent the happiness all over them both and jumped up from their desk to grab his cell phone, turning that on as well as he paced in front of Derek and Ricky who were grabbing their phones as well.

"I have one message from Ravyn, nothing about the article but then she wouldn't have access to it until someone puts it out on some kind of social media, which is undoubtedly imminent," Ricky said.

"Yeah, because I'm going to do it," Stiles snorted and Ricky grinned in return while Derek shook his head with a smile pointed down at his phone.

"She asked how the date was," Ricky mumbled distractedly, already texting back.

"What about you Der?" Stiles asked.

The alpha shrugged, "Scott and Erica checking in about the date and the article. They aren't getting asked any questions, they haven't been very open about their Magi-Omegas so that makes sense and the article didn't out them either which of course was the point. Also why the article wasn't supposed to be about us either though it's clear to anyone we know that it's about us."

Stiles nodded, looking down as the screen came alive and he exclaimed, "Geez, there is no end to my phone blowing up apparently. Most of the pack has texted, asking us how we are after the article and if I am certifiably insane from doing it because if we were sort of out before, we are out out now."

"Kind of the point though right?" Ricky asked.

"Yup," Stiles responded, pretty obnoxiously pleased with him over the result of everything. They had never shied away from contention about what they were to each other, but now people would know about it, know that Stiles wasn't going away and he shouldn't have to and honestly, that's what he'd been hoping for all year long.

"It's been a long year huh?" Derek sighed gently and Stiles moved to sit between his two mates and wrapped his arms around them. Derek leaned in to scent mark the side of his head while Ricky pressed a kiss to other side of his face. Stiles smiled into the contact as he threw his legs out onto the table in front of them.

"It's been a good year, did pretty well in school and I found you guys. No matter what happens, what comes our way, I am going to rejoice in that for the rest of our lives."

The scent of contentment in the room was almost overwhelming. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to each of his mates lips before he bounced up again, "We should go dancing and then while we aren't in school for three weeks, we should go and visit the Oseric family, they didn't really get to come here after Ricky was hurt. It would be good to spend some time with them."

He looked down and watched the shimmer of happy tears in the beta's eyes before they both nodded and Stiles reached down to drag them to their feet. He was happy and mated and in love with his mates, and he was going dancing.

"Yeah, good year," Stiles declared again as the alpha and beta stood and started getting ready to go back out. He watched as they put on shoes and jackets and thought about all the things that happened since he walked onto the campus at the beginning of the fall semester and didn't know who to thank for the opportunity to live in the light for the first time as an omega and he knew a big part of that was because of his mates who helped him have the courage to step out of the shadows.

He wasn't going to let it go to waste.


End file.
